Curtis Klingle

‘Tis the Season

As we are nearing the holiday season, I thought it prudent to write an article addressing home and property protection. 

It is typical for law enforcement (LE) to see a spike in theft and burglary cases as Thanksgiving and Christmas approach. It seems even the miscreants of society want to join in on the festivities though they are not really into the “giving” part like the rest of us, they are much more adept at the receiving part, and that usually through nefarious means. What you may not realize is that your local law enforcement typically deals with the same 10-15% of the population over and over. It is this same 10-15% that is responsible for the vast majority of thefts, burglaries, assaults, trafficking in illegal narcotics, and general stupidity we deal with. If we went back to capital punishment on the courthouse square, I would say we could reduce that number to about 2%. I don’t care what anyone says, capital punishment is very effective in deterring criminal activity, especially for the fellow who received said punishment. I can guarantee you; he will never do that again. Of course, I have meandered down the rabbit hole, and for that I ask your forgiveness. You have thrown in your two bits for information on protecting your home from the less than desirables of society, not to hear what may (will) quickly become a diatribe. Again, my apologies for the digression. In my own defense though, I think everyone is entitled to my opinion.   

My first bit of advice in protecting what belongs to you is to get to know your neighbors. You would think that I would not need to mention this, but here we are. It never ceases to amaze me how many folks have no idea who is living right next to them. I can assure you that if you are friendly with those folks, they will be much more likely to watch your place when you are away. Honest folks abhor thieves and will gladly keep an eye on things for ya. They will learn who does and does not live in your abode, the vehicles you drive, your children, critters, and friends of the latter two categories.  

I would say second to knowing your neighbors, would be to purchase yourself a security system. Please understand that there is no mandate for law enforcement to respond to alarm calls, these calls are answered as a courtesy to the homeowner. That being said, I would discourage anyone from going with one of the nationally recognized companies because you are nothing more than a number to them. If or when your system begins malfunctioning, they are sometimes less than enthusiastic to make the necessary repairs. During that interval, should the alarms continue to alert the police erroneously, there is a good chance law enforcement will quit responding under a “nuisance alarm” policy. Do yourself a favor and find a local company to install and maintain your system. To my knowledge there is only one local security company in our area, and I have found them to be professional and customer service oriented. In other words, they will take care of you. While I won’t tell you the name of the company because we are not supposed to promote businesses, I will provide you with a hint or two. The first part of their name is the opposite of being empty and the second part is mentioned in Ephesians 6. Also, as a disclaimer, I receive nothing for promoting them other than the satisfaction in knowing that you will receive an excellent system and excellent service, and one of those national companies won’t be taking your hard-earned money. The national guys are on par with the mountebank of old as far as I’m concerned.  

If you can’t afford a security system, a great alternative is to install game cameras around your place. These cameras have come a long way, and many will send you photos straight to your phone in real time. We have solved many cases with homeowner’s photos obtained from these types of cameras, which equate to yet another of the low lifes of the 10-15% being taken off the street. I would suggest the purchase and installation of at least two, preferably three or four in strategic locations. Also, camouflage them as best you can and keep them out of easy reach, because the bad guy will sometimes steal the cameras too.

Lastly, no, you cannot set up booby traps on your property. While it is exceedingly fun to fantasize about a thief hanging by his nether regions from a contraption of your design, booby traps are highly illegal. You would end up being the one punished. But do please continue to entertain your imagination.

As always, should you have any questions, concerns, or an issue you need help with, please give us a ring.

“Crime is the price society pays for abandoning character.” James Q. Wilson

C. Klingle