Don’t Hide Money In The Toilet: More Conversation With A Burglar
By Jeffrey Strain, March 6th, 2007 | 63 Comments »
With my previous post The Best Place To Hide Money – Conversation With A Burglar being one of my most popular posts ever on this site, there wasn’t any hesitation when I was at another gathering over the weekend and spotted the former burglar that had given me the information.
I went straight up to him and asked if I could talk with him for awhile. This is what I learned from the second conversation we had:
Most people don’t understand the motivation of why the burglar is stealing. As he explained:
99% of the burglars on the street aren’t like the ones you see in the movies where stealing is their chosen profession. They are motivated by more sinister reasons. They are part of organized crime, they are part of a gang or, as in my case at the time, they are drug addicts.
When you realize that you are most likely hiding your money away from people described above and not the professional burglars you see in the movies and on TV, it gives a different perspective of where you absolutely shouldn’t be hiding your money.
What he explained was that when people hide their money, they usually think of a place where they would never look themselves instead of where a burglar is unlikely to find the money. Take, for example, the back of the closet in a box where he said he often found valuables. For the person who is hiding the money or valuables, this is an inconvenient place and it takes effort to get to. Since all the boxes in front of it have meaning and therefore need to be carefully placed aside before reaching the box that contains valuables in the back, it seems like an inconvenient place to access. For the burglar, however, the boxes in front have no meaning and he will simply throw them aside without a second thought making it quite easy to access that hiding place.
As the conversation continued, the former burglar mentioned “bonus places” he sometimes found money. These were places that he always looked that an average homeowner might consider a good place to hide money, but it wasn’t money that he was after. If there happened to be money there, however, it was a nice, unexpected bonus.
All burglars have habits and there were certain places I always checked for a specific reason – I was a drug addict. I’m sure that other burglars have their particular search areas beyond the obvious drawers and closets, but I bet that most search these areas, too.
These are the areas he always searched and the reason why you don’t want to hide money there:
Toilets: While this might seem like an unlikely place for a burglar to look, in the toilet bowl tank (as well as all the area round the toilet) is one place that he always took the time to look: “In and around the toilet is where a lot of people hide their drugs. The tank seems an especially popular place, but I will also search boxes of tampons, toilet paper rolls, potpourri… If it is in the vicinity of the toilet and looks like drugs could be hidden there, I would look.”
Cereal Boxes: As with the toilet, “Cereal boxes are another place where a lot of people like to hide drugs. I’m sure that the people who didn’t have drugs in their house wondered why there was cereal spread all over their kitchen after I robbed them.”
Refrigerator & Freezer: The refrigerator may be another place that would seem unlikely for a burglar to investigate, but as he pointed out, “Many drugs last longer when refrigerated so big stashes end up in the refrigerator. Prescription drugs could also be found in the refrigerator.”
Medicine Cabinet: As with the refrigerator, “The medicine cabinet would usually be filled with prescription drugs that could be just as valuable on the street (or for self use) as illegal drugs.”
Bed: “I would toss everything surrounding the bed. I’d check pillows, between the mattresses, under the bed and inside anything close to the bed. This is often where people would hide their guns.”
As mentioned in the previous article, the best place to keep money is at the bank, but if you do decide to stash some extra cash at home in case of an emergency, you now know that these possible hiding places are not where you want to hide your money.
March 6th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Good information. I switched my hiding place and put some money on my dresser.
March 6th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
Who here keeps more then $1000 in the house? I keep all my money in the bank let alone what is in my wallet (my wallet in some bills wrapped around a credit card).
If I regularly kept a lot of money at home I’d put in a nice safe.
March 6th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
I keep my drugs at the pharmacy.Rob them instead!
March 7th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
There is a t.v. show on Discovery Channel that is just fascinating I think – “It Takes a Thief.” Premise is Ex-pro-burglars target particular houses, go inside and ask if they can “rob” them (throw in a free security upgrade). Very eye opening. The homeowners watch as they ransack their house and take off with their valuables – gets very emotional – and the mess too… Then they fix their security, give them tips.
It is very eye opening to see what makes you a target, and the places you would never think they would look for your goods…
What I have learned is nothing beats a (good) security system and locked doors. Making it look like someone is home, etc. Once they get in, nothing is safe unless it is bolted to the ground… The worst is they always takes the cars too – lock up those keys in a safe bolted to the wall.
Oh yeah – on this show they ransack the bedrooms, closets, fridge, kitchen, bathrooms… You are right! My eyes have been opened – in and out in 5 minutes with every last valuable… They know where to look…
March 8th, 2007 at 10:35 am
Sorry, but my first thought after I read this was “Store your treasures in heaven, where thieves can’t get them and moths can’t corrupt”. If you own anything on this earth, somebody will be plotting to take it, even the homeless get robbed. I guess the best advice is to make sure you have good insurance. Life’s too short to be worrying how to protect your “stuff”.
March 8th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
I have to question all this advice. I attended the local police academy (for citizens) in my hometown, and i was told there that most burglars are in and out of a house in about 10 minutes. The longer they linger, the more likely they’ll get caught. I find it hard to believe that the typical burglar is going to feel comfortable searching all these little hiding spots. It would take too long!
March 8th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
After reading the last thread like this one, I actually leave some money on my computer desk in plain sight at all times. I figure the average “money” burglar will take that 20-50 bucks and run with it. This potentially leaves my real stash safe.
March 12th, 2007 at 8:01 am
Interesting perspectives, but most are the complete inverse of what I do. I live in Brazil where the possibility of armed robbery inside your house is real. I keep roughly $1000 in the house for just this reason. If a robber comes in, he wants money, and if he doesn’t get it things can get ugly. The worst thing you can have is a safe. I know a gentleman who was forced to open his safe at gunpoint. It took him four tries. After the third try, the man asked him to pick one of his kids for him to shoot, and then maybe he’d remember the combination. Also, word gets around that you have a safe at home, and you don’t want that.
March 12th, 2007 at 8:32 am
[...] Ask a burglar! [...]
March 12th, 2007 at 11:19 am
The only money I have in my home is in my purse, a spare change jar, and lost coins under the seat cushions. I suppose I should start “hiding” a stash of $100 so the bad guys can have it and stop trashing the house looking for it?
March 12th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
I don’t ever have cash in the house or in my wallet. I just don’t carry it any more. I don’t have expensive jewelry, I don’t have high-end electronics. I drive a used Lexus in a neighborhood with mostly Fords and Chevys. I wonder if my house would be a target because of that. Thieves would walk away from my house with a four year old MacBook and a couple of clock radios. Hopefully they wouldn’t shoot me or my children to assuage their disappointment.
March 13th, 2007 at 9:47 am
We live in a modest townhome area with a sprinkling of retirees, so there are always people around. Also everyone can see the entrances to other units (front and back). We keep dogs, as well. Very little concern of a break-in – too much trouble to sneak in and very little to make off with! Works for us.
We did have an iPod stolen when we hosted a party though – ugh!
March 14th, 2007 at 1:17 am
I have some common household items with uncommon contents – money – none of which have been mentioned by anyone on this blog. I’d tell you what they are…but then I’d have to kill you!
March 16th, 2007 at 7:21 am
as a former police officer I’ve seen burglaries where the thieves made off with the persian rugs!!! most people don’t realize that the burglar doesn’t just hit your home at the last minute…they are reasonably planned in that if there are no cars in the driveway and its a weekday they can safely assume your at work and they have some time. I have had cases where the thief ate a prepared meal and watched t.v. An alarm system is only as good as the person using it. Those nice jewelry chests, bullets in the drawer leading one to know there is a gun in the house, nice laptops and even a microwave are all easy marks…what most people forget is that if people weren’t willing to buy stolen goods for a cheap price burglars would give up. The next time you think your getting a good deal at a yard sale or flea market for that nice new item still in the box but really cheap think about how it got there!!!!
June 21st, 2007 at 9:43 pm
These articles are kind of scary! I don’t keep money at home (I barely keep any money at all… I’m Gen Y – we don’t do cash very well) but I do have valuables like inherited jewellery and my laptop.
Will definitely make me think twice when I go on my next business trip about where I’m stashing my stuff.
July 15th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
[...] An ex-burglar says that hiding something anywhere in the bathroom or refrigerator is a bad idea. Evidently these are [...]
August 19th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
this helps burglars as well as it helps yourself…
September 21st, 2007 at 11:28 am
I keep a substantial amount of cash stashed securely in my house now in various denominations. I know I run a risk having it available, but what happens when the banking system is down after a hurricane or terrorist event? It’s nice to know that I can still negotiate for things needed by my family (gas, food, etc) in the event of such incidents. I am not an alarmist, just a realist.
October 5th, 2007 at 7:30 pm
[...] Some tips from a burglar on where to hide your goods: When people hide their money, they usually think of a place where they would never look themselves instead of where a burglar is unlikely to find the money. Take, for example, the back of the closet in a box where he said he often found valuables. For the person who is hiding the money or valuables, this is an inconvenient place and it takes effort to get to. Since all the boxes in front of it have meaning and therefore need to be carefully placed aside before reaching the box that contains valuables in the back, it seems like an inconvenient place to access. For the burglar, however, the boxes in front have no meaning and he will simply throw them aside without a second thought making it quite easy to access that hiding place. [...]
October 28th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Every time I have been robbed, it was from a member of my family, whether they live here or not.
I wish I could leave $20.00 on the table by the front door. When I would come in, if it was there I would know that no one broke in.
with my family I would run out of $
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:50 am
Our house was burglarized twice. Each time it was in broad daylight, while everyone was gone and no cars were in the driveway. Each time they simply broke the front window glass on the first floor on the front porch and walked right in the window. They probably had bags or back packs, as they only stole smaller type items that could be shoved in a back pack or bag. They did not steal large items like TV or stereo, they only stole loose small stuff that was easy to grab quickly. The house was not messed up that bad, they hit mainly closets and dresser drawers. I am guessing they were in and out in 10 minutes. An additional note, previously when we had a dog, our house never got broken into. But once the dog passed away and no longer there to bark, that is when we got burglarized.
May 4th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
The fake tins used for hiding cash and jewelry are also a thing burglars know well.
May 5th, 2008 at 3:31 am
[...] [Click here for part 1] [...]
May 24th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Has it ever occured to any of you bloggers that these sites serve as a hints and tips guide for decent theives committed to what they do for a living? Pleases don’t take this the wrong way, but as a seven time convicted felon, all these responses, save the police officers, are all rather naive. You wanna know so much about the crook because its sexy and gets your imagination going. I resent the authors comments about how thieves aren’t anything equal too “movie” thieves. On the contrary they are much more advanced than you could ever expect. As a reformed criminal I feel I should tell you that no matter what security measures you have, anything can be stolen from you at anytime.
May 24th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
I’m hoping someone will break into my home and leave some treasure. You know…sorta like urban Santa.
I think there should be a rule that if a thief can’t find anything of value, he/she has to leave $50 to help with the clean up. Just a thought.
June 22nd, 2008 at 8:24 am
I think the writer and the ex-burglar are the same guy…
October 11th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
Jesus people, don’t leave any money for burglars. This article/series is a waste of thought. Leaving money for a burglar instead of the real stash? That sounds like something a THIEF would say. Someone posted earlier “Sounds like the author/ex-burglar are the same person”–no shit sherlock. Sounds like he’s trying to imbue the public with a impending fear to increase his take, allwhile pretending to be this “helper” He’s probably still robbing houses like the low life he is. pathetic
Take that “burglar” money and spend it on home/rent insurance. That way when you have property damage/robbery you’ll be protected
October 12th, 2008 at 5:25 am
to the above poster…do you really think a burglar reads web sites like ‘savingsadvice.com’? C’mon…
January 18th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
I am a college tudent for me to keep $20 out for a burglar to find so he won’t trash my place meens I might not eat for a week.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
For the love of…
Yeah, burglers aren’t going to read this blog. Hello! I found it by typing “where to find money”.
We all live in fear and terror. Get to know your neighbors. Watch out the window and know what goes on in your neighborhood. Get a dog. Don’t live like you have something worth stealing, don’t brag about it if you do.
April 13th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
Yes, burglars will read this. The blog is indexed by search engines, and comes up when people search for things like “How to be a burglar” or “where to find money”.
And the author is correct for the most part. Most thieves are opportunists who want to get in, get something valuable, and get out ASAP. So if they break in and find a hundred bucks, they’ll probably think “SCORE” and make a break for it to avoid getting caught while they’re ahead, not knowing you had a cool 5 grand hidden in the open bag of brussel sprouts in the freezer.
On the other hand, the minority of criminals who fit the “Professional” category, who have chosen this as their profession will not be dissuaded, as they have likely done their homework on you, your neighbors, and your house. They’ll likely know how much time they have, and they’ll use it to search for the most valuable things they can find.
On the bright side, unless you’re fairly wealthy, you probably won’t be the target of a “professional” burglar, just the gangster/junkie/opportunist style burglar.
So like the man said, keep your money in the bank. But if you absolutely refuse, and must keep your money in your home, at least leave a benji somewhere that’s relatively easy to find.(ie, in an old wallet in your drawer next to your bed)
May 11th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Very valuable insight. It has often been said that the best way to protect yourself from a burglar is to think like a burglar. The worst thing people do is to assume that they do not have valuables worth taking, but when dealing with criminals that are drug addicted what they see as insignificant is of great value. Many drug addicted burglars first begin their theft at home and the places listed in this article are where family members attempted to hide valuables from them.
June 12th, 2009 at 8:24 am
Interesting site – I googled for some time to find it. I have been hiding things under my doona in bed like mentioned in article. Guess I need to find a better hiding spot.
I had a frightening episode almost 20 years ago now when a man with his accomplas tried kicking in the front door. He was armed with a machetti and said he was going to kill us when he got in if we didnt open the door. We had no phone back then – was terrifying.
He never got in and the police were called by a neigbour. They apprehended him – turned out he had been out for less than a month after serving long sentence for murder… apparently he had problems coping after so long in prison.
This article seems very light hearted considering the seriousness of what is being discussed. Anyone coming into your home is potentialy a threat to your life or the lives of your loved ones.
My own gut feeling is not to co-operate with a home intruder. Fight like hell, use what ever is at your means. It could save your life. The second you start to obey there demands they have control.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Lol I keep it in the most obvious place inside my computer literally.
July 28th, 2009 at 11:51 am
NEVER HAVE A SAFE.
You want to try and remember a combination under stress? Is your money worth putting your life on the line?
Best hiding place: one that you don’t see on this site.
July 28th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
many higher end safes have a “duress” combination like the money boxes on atm’s.. 2 combinations will open the safe, one is for you, the other will open the safe but will silent alarm the police/monitoring service. Put the duress combination on the back of a business card in your wallet and in a bad situation, tell them, where the combo is, and let them open it, or you can, but there it is (and the police will be on thier way)
August 3rd, 2009 at 7:03 pm
I use sheet metal box mounted to an exterior wall of my house.
The label says “Danger: Extremely high voltage!”
August 4th, 2009 at 7:25 am
[...] this is the launching point for advice from a former burglar on where and where not to hide your [...]
August 4th, 2009 at 11:20 am
I haven’t carried or had cash on my person in over 10 years. Yah maybe a few bucks here but it always goes into the bank. I know I might be different then most but I figured credit cards or ATM cards had started making us a cashless society. I’m sure they would take cash if found but would go for valuables. (Xboxes, computers tvs jewels etc)
August 4th, 2009 at 11:44 am
Good luck to a burglar trying to find valuables in my house. Heck, *I* can’t even find the damn valuables. If my DVD player gets stolen, I’ll have a good excuse to buy one that is usable *without* the remote control, which I haven’t found after six months of sporadic high-intensity searching. Grrr….
August 4th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Nice, very informative. I usually don’t have any money to hide anyways, I worry more about my electronics and what not.
August 4th, 2009 at 11:56 am
I have every computer in the house set to “call home” via security software if stolen. I almost pray they take a computer with them.
August 4th, 2009 at 11:57 am
[...] a couple of amusing posts, SavingAdvice.com talks to the best possible source on the subject: a self-proclaimed former [...]
August 4th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
When I was preparing to move, I sold all my possessions in a yard sale, racking up some cash to be used on my travel and to get my own place. I got all that cash put into large bills and hid them in a cheap EverReady flashlight. The kind that takes D Batteries. I wrapped the bills around the Batteries so the flashlight worked. The thought process was that it would function and have the weight of a real flashlight, and if my place was broken into hopefully they would already have their own, better, flashlight.
August 4th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
@Carol,
Since you don’t mind someone taking your stuff, can I get your address?
“Store your treasures in heaven, where thieves can’t get them and moths can’t corrupt”.
HAHAHAHA! Pathetic.
August 4th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Now I know where all of you hide your valuables HAHAHAHAHAHA
August 4th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Just Kidding All
August 4th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Attic? For a while now, esp after hearing about Katrina (I live in a flood plain), I keep redundant emergency supplies on different levels of the house, including some cash in a vacuum sealed bag secured to a rafter in the attic. Not the most convenient place, but hard/time consuming to get to, and if you want to play in the sprayed fiberglass insulation, be my guest.
How about locking internal doors when you go away for any amount of time? You can always jimmy them open with a small screwdriver or wire when you get back, but I’m thinking about my upstairs office, where you would have to breach the door only to be met with multiple locked file cabinets and a firesafe bolted inside a closet, which can also be locked. Both time consuming and noisy to get to.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
As a kid back in the 50s, we lived over my dad’s drugstore. He had pain-killers,and other things that most addicts would have loved to have gotten their hands on-but they never did! Why? Dad had several guns and knew how to use them! And we always had noisey barking dogs! Keep a dog and you have noise and distraction-2 things burglars hate!
August 22nd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Fern (commenter #6): You are right… and wrong. A thief doesn’t hang around for more than 10 minutes, but in 10 minutes, he’d clean our your house including nearly every likely hiding spot.
Just because it would take you 25 minutes to check every one of these spots doesn’t mean an adrenaline-rush fueled person with no concern for damaging the property they are searching through who does this 20 times a month would.
August 24th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Not yet mentioned, a dog can be bribed with treats in seconds. Arrange things so it takes too much time for an intruder to make friends with fido.
Never leave tools laying about the yard, they will use them to break in and then take the most worth stealing tools.
I only keep a Safe for fire safety reasons for documents I am too lazy to take to the bank.
September 7th, 2009 at 11:20 am
There’s always money in the Banana Stand!
September 12th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
If someone is after a specific item you have – No amount of security will protect it.
A crime of opportunity is different. Quality doors/locks that are actually used can drop the risk. Locked windows too.
Security windows can do a lot. Generally expensive. plexiglass windows for the ones most likely to get busted are cheap.
But.. If someone WANTS IN.. They will get in. Even the highest security locks used at places like the pentagon can be picked in seconds to minutes.
September 14th, 2009 at 12:50 am
As has been mentioned the tins you can hide cash in are very well known, and the tin of “soup” in the bedroom stands out like a sore thumb.
Unfortunately for the thief, if they touch the soup tin on the shelf in my bedroom, they will get an unpleasant electric shock (dog shock collar inside) and a loud siren (not in the can) will start wailing.
Other valuable things, like my computer for instance, will trigger an alarm if they are carried across any threshold. (Rigged with one of those dog collars that trigger when it passes a cable. The cable is hidden alongside the thresholds.)
Disabling requires a screwdriver or waiting until the internal battery runs out.
March 16th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
I hide all of my big bills inside the picture of my Mother In Law , aint no one looking in there!!! That picture is better than a guard dog on PCP !!
March 17th, 2010 at 9:27 am
I have been burgled at least 5 times in my life; different locations, cities, etc. And yes, my children’s room was ransacked. I have been a single mom for many years. My girls were 3 and 5 at the time, and their room was a MESS, but the burglers trashed it even more, especially the bed. I have had my refrigerator/freezer trashed, came home to frozen huckleberries melting all over the floor. At times I have had (in my opinion) NOTHING to steal, but they still took my ancient microwave when they couldn’t find anything else. They have taken spare car keys. I have almost always had dogs; but as someone mentioned, the thieves probably threw them a bone and the dogs went off happily and quietly to enjoy. But when the sheriff came, they barked like hell. Didn’t like the uniform I guess!
I am almost to the point of just leaving the door unlocked, leave them a couple hundred bucks in plain sight, with a note for them to please take it. It would be cheaper than replacing doors and locks, windows, and cleaning up afterward.
I have always been burgled in broad daylight, when at work and kids in school. Unless you live in a neighborhood with a nosy neighbor who stays home all the time, with a clear view of all angles of your home, you can be burgled any time and the thieves can be in and out with no one the wiser.
March 24th, 2010 at 11:33 am
Who DOESN’T keep income that was paid to them in cash? Put it in your bank account and you’ll have to explain to the IRS where it came from. If you clean houses or mow lawns for extra money (or to make a living), you’re sure not going to take it to the bank. At $80 to $100 a house, you only need 8 or 10 ladies to collect $1,000, specially if the ladies hire you to come in twice a month. Or even once a week, if you’re really lucky.
March 27th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
I have been robbed 13 times in the last 3 months and I like to hide all my cash in the manhole outside in my yard.I also keep some in a large dictionary that I cut a lot of the pages out so it looks normal, but when you open it, there is a large spacein the middle.I keep gold jewlery in melted candle wax.I keep my credit cards in my computer after I have unscrewed the cover off it.
May 10th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
I appreciated this article. I live with an emotionally challenged young adult who steals from me and the household. Until I can figure out how to teach her to not steal, I am glad to know these ideas for hiding my cash. I can’t leave all of my money in the bank. I need some ready cash. She would even take the needed change. I once had a safe, but she damaged it trying to open it. So, that’s out. Anyway, I can’t afford a more secure one. I am beginning to learn solutions to teaching her to respect my belongings. Thank you for this article. I will implement these locations and hopefully I will have success and peace of mind.
June 6th, 2010 at 8:45 am
I liked this article. It’s been pointed out – correctly – that some cannot bank all their cash for fear of the revenue people. Another reason for caution, I suggest, is the fallout from the banking crisis of 2007/8. Here in England runs on two banks saw queues of people desperate to get their money out and failing. Plenty went back to leaving it under the mattress after that I can tell you.
As to confronting burglars I’m afraid we are not quite so well placed over here. Barred from defending ourselves, let alone owning guns, the government advises sitting the miscreant down and discussing his problems over a hot meal, being careful not to judge him or to infringe his human rights by unwarranted references to working for a living.
Similarly any homeowners tempted to use electrical voltage to discourage theft would almost certainly face porridge for ‘taking the law into their own hands’ (it’s meant to be ours in the first place actually). The burglar, for his part, would immediately sue the homeowner, likely obtaining several thousand pounds in compensation.
And no, I’m not being facetious.
June 18th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
I searched for “where to hide jewelry” then “where to hide valuables” and this site came up. My home was burgled once. I had my jewelry in a jewelry box on my dresser. He (a neighbor saw him and he was caught later) took only one item from the jewelry box. A piece of costume jewelry worth maybe one dollar. He left the emerald and diamond ring set in white gold. He left the diamond ring set in 18k yellow gold. In fact he left everything else in the box. Granted there was not much there but he took the largest and most intricate (gaudy) piece of jewelry in the box. Anyone who knows jewelry would know the stones on that piece were fake and worth nothing. It wasn’t even real silver. But he was not a jeweler, he was a thief. It was obvious he went through all the drawers in my home. The only thing he got was the cheap bracelet. He never found my purse which was actually in plain sight but not where most women put their purse. There was a few thousand in cash in it at the time. Turns out he needed cash. Don’t think he was a drug addict but stole money or valuables he could sell. I have learned not to put my jewelry in a jewelry box on the dresser. LOL My MIL puts hers in a shoebox in her closet — as if a burglar would never look there. I have to agree that if someone wants to steal something, they will find a way. But some burglars are not casing your home, they may just check for an unlocked door (or one easily opened). In this case, he had some gadget to open the garage door and knew most people do not lock the door from the garage to the house. He made his way in.
I had a friend who dated a burglar, by the way. I learned a lot about where NOT to put things and most of what this has said is true. No lockboxes or safes are a deterrent. Once in, they can pretty much find something they think is worth taking. And NO don’t leave him cash somewhere – doh. At least make him work for it. A friend had a bike stolen even though it was locked. It’s no guarantee. As they say, locks are to keep HONEST people honest. i.e., don’t place temptation in their face as they may not be able to resist. A burglar or thief will do anything they feel they must to get what they want. One on drugs is a dangerous combination. Try your best to keep them OUT of your home first. i.e. security systems, dogs, signs stating you have them, etc. They say an ounce of prevention … etc.
July 12th, 2010 at 6:11 pm
I agree with the last article i keep around 20-50 bucks on the coffee table in my living room. I figure the burglar would take that an run, and i was right. I got robbed a few days ago and the only thing that was missing was the 40 dollars i left on the coffee table. Im happy cus i have 400 bucks somewhere in my house
August 15th, 2010 at 8:12 am
You could put quarantine for small pox stickers on your windows and doors. Have dogs, keep a gun in your pocket in case you arrive home and a burglar decides to be a robber and attempts to force you to open a safe at gun / knife point. You could pull out your pistol and put a mag / cylinder of bullets into his / it’s head.