13 Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You:

1. Of course I look familiar...I was here just last week cleaning your
carpets, painting your shutters or delivering your new refrigerator.

2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your
yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make
my return a little easier.

3. Love those flowers!  That tells me you have taste...and taste means
there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make
me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I
might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to
remove it.

5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and
foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead
giveaway.

6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your
alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes
it too easy.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. AND the
windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom and your
jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there, too.

8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella and you forget to
lock your door...understandable. But understand this:  I don't take a day off
because of bad weather.

9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere
or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)

10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer?  I always check
dresser drawers, the bedside table and the medicine cabinet.

11. Helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

12. You're right, I won't have enough time to break into that safe where
you keep your valuables, but if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm
system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out, you can
buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a
real television. (Find it at <http://faketv.com/ > faketv.com.)

8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:

1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and
carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors!

3. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your
neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear
it again..if he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was
doing. It's human nature.

4. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy
alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

5. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home
and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk
through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick
my targets.

6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook or MySpace page. It's easier than
you think to look up your address.

7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way
to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.

8. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit
the jackpot and walk right in.

Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California and Kentucky; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs
crimedoctor.com (http://crimedoctor.com) and Richard T Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis,
who interviewed 105 burglars for his book, "Burglars on the Job".

 Here's Another Tip

You're reluctant to answer your door anymore due to home invasions.  So now what?

If you don't have a gun, here's a more humane way to wreck someone's evil plans for you…just use wasp & hornet spray.

Yes, wasp & hornet spray! 

A friend who is a receptionist in a church in a high risk area was
concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they recommended that she get a can of wasp spray instead.

The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection.


Here's More Proof:

On the heels of a break in and beating that left an elderly woman in
Toledo dead, self-defense experts have a tip that could save your life.

Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview
High School . For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed.

Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them."

Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet, so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says, "spray the culprit in the eyes".  It's a tip he's given to students for decades. It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray.

"That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out."

Maybe even save a life.

Please share this with all the people in your life.

Dayton Police Reports for All of First District

Police reports for our area are available upon request.  Send an e-mail to Paul Howard to get one sent to you.  I am receiving these weekly from Lt Varvel of the DPD.

Theft From Motor Vehicles and Criminal Damaging in Northeast Dayton
Letter received from Lt. Varvel 12/07/09

Good morning!

There has been a rash of Criminal Damaging and Theft From Auto complaints in the Pheasant Hill/Forest Ridge/Quail Hollow neighborhoods during the week of November 30 - December 6, 2009.  The crimes occurred in the following areas:

6800 block of Greeley Avenue - 3 separate crimes
6600 block of Sturgis Court - 1 crime
5300 block of W. Gander Road - 1 crime
5400 block of S. Gander Road - 1 crime
4900 block of Caracara Court - 1 crime

All of these crimes have been aimed at vehicles, while at least one crime was directed at both the vehicle and home of a complainant.  Rocks, broken bits of brick and pellet guns were used to break windows and puncture the siding of homes in several cases.  First District personnel were instructed to increase their patrols of these neighborhoods in response to the crimes. 

At approximately 5:20 a.m. this morning, an officer observed a small vehicle occupied by five individuals traveling near Greeley Avenue and Serrell Court. By the time the officer turned around to stop the vehicle, the driver had pulled over to the curb and stopped.  Two occupants got out of the vehicle and stooped down as if to examine a tire.  The officer observed that none of the tires were defective.  Additional officers responded to assist in separating and identifying the occupants of the car.  None of the vehicle's occupants reside in the immediate area.  All of the occupants were wearing dark clothing and all have prior arrest records for breaking and entering.  Screw drivers and flashlights were discovered inside the car.  These individuals claimed they were looking for a friend, but it was obvious to officers that this "friend" was probably imaginary. The driver of the car did not possess a valid Ohio Operator's License; therefore, he was incarcerated and his sister's vehicle towed. There was no valid reason to arrest the other occupants.

Patrols will continue throughout this neighborhood for the foreseeable future.  REMINDER: The officer mentioned above happened to observe an open garage door at a residence on Serrell Court just before stopping this vehicle.  Please secure your homes, cars and valuables and, if you feel comfortable doing so, remind your neighbors to do the same. Most thefts are crimes of opportunity. There's no sense making it any easier for criminals to commit crimes than necessary.

With winter weather already rearing its' ugly head, please allow yourself ample time to get to work, school, etc. so you don't have to rush. Also, have a secondary route planned out, in the event the roads you primarily use to travel on are impassable or dangerous. And, as always, since bridges and overpasses freeze first, SLOW DOWN when approaching them during snowy or icy conditions.

Sincerely,

Mark Varvel

This was specifically in the GRHA area.  Lock up your cars and take all of your valuables into the house.