A general rule among police agencies and home security providers is that the best way to avoid being a burglary victim is to make your house as difficult to burglarize as possible. Things like deadbolt locks, video cameras, and whole-home security systems do just that. Yet, burglars are becoming more sophisticated all the time. Homeowners must keep up by employing equally sophisticated responses.
A Cross-Country Burglary Spree
Recent reports of a cross-country burglary spree illustrate the idea of sophistication quite nicely. Apparently, police in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, recently arrested three Chilean nationals on burglary charges. The trio is suspected of traveling multiple times between Wisconsin and Florida, committing burglaries along the way.
They had known addresses in both Florida and Wisconsin. But the three men apparently also traveled to Minnesota and Illinois. When finally arrested, they were in possession of roughly 100 pieces of jewelry stolen from a Wisconsin home. They were also in possession of burglary tools and electronic devices capable of rendering electronic security equipment useless by jamming internet signals.
Authorities believe the three men could be part of a larger criminal network responsible for highly sophisticated burglaries across the country. At the very least, possessing tools capable of shutting down home security systems demonstrates the three men know what they are doing. They are not random locals looking for a quick score to feed a drug habit.
Tracking Them Around the Country
As sophisticated as the burglars might appear, some of the police agencies currently involved in the investigation are equally sophisticated. For example, the way the man was linked to burglaries in several states is quite fascinating.
Police agencies around the country use Flock cameras to scan and identify license plates. The cameras are mounted on cruisers and connected to the cloud, where software processes information and returns results. Investigators were able to run the trio’s license plate when they were arrested. The data was then compared with Flock data across the country.
With that data, investigators were able to track the group’s travels to and from Wisconsin. They found the pair moving throughout Florida, Minnesota, and Illinois. Perhaps they have been to several other states as well.
Sophistication With and Without Technology
The Flock cameras police agencies use for license plate identification purposes represent an example of how to fight back against criminals with an equally sophisticated response. But response sophistication doesn’t necessarily mean technology. There are both high-tech and low-tech ways to fight back.
On the technical side of things or state-of-the-art home security systems. Big-name brands, like Vivint Home Security and SimpliSafe are continually upping their games to ensure consumers have access to the best technology. Vivint even has a package designed to ensure home security is affordable to most households. It is called HomeProtect.
Making security systems affordable is a smart idea. But even without electronic devices, homeowners can do other things that make life tough on criminals. For example, pony bushes in front of each first-floor window are a great deterrent. Heavy-duty deadbolt locks and reinforcement plates can stop even the most determined burglars.
Think Like a Criminal
Sophistication is less about the tools you use and more about understanding the mind of a criminal and responding accordingly. It is more about thinking things through logically rather than just buying security devices and new locks for the doors.
By paying attention to your surroundings and thinking things through, you can better understand the mind of a criminal who might target your home for burglary. Then you can mount a sophisticated response to keep him and his friends away.