This content was created by Robert Siciliano. This content was uploaded by Robert Siciliano. This is a YouTube video (Fox 25 Morning News segment) titled "Home Burglaries Rise 24% Robert Siciliano www.IDTheftSecurity.com for @ADTPulse.com" from March 15, 2011. It is a recorded interview/discussion on rising burglaries (a reported 24% increase in Boston/the Commonwealth) featuring host Gene (morning news anchor) and guest Robert Siciliano, a home security expert from ADT. The segment covers causes for the spike in crime, common homeowner mistakes (e.g., leaving doors unlocked), simple deterrents (TV/radio on, dog/alarmed signage, timers), alarm options and costs (DIY vs. professional monitoring), doorstep scams, reporting burglaries to police, and recovering a sense of safety after an intrusion.
Chapters
Alright, Kim, thank you. Shifting gears now. It's a sign of the times. Burglaries are up all around the Commonwealth and especially in the city of Boston where there's been a 24% increase in break-ins. So what can you do to make sure you are not a target? Joining us now from our Beacon Hill studio, Robert Siciliano. He is a home security expert from ADT.com. And Robert, as always, appreciate your time this morning. First of all, desperate times, I guess, call for desperate measures. Seems a lot of people are turning to crime because the economy— is that pretty much what we're looking at here in terms of where these numbers are coming from and why there's been a spike in crime?
There is definitely a correlation between recessions and higher crime. In addition to that, people depressed, they're out of work, they're upset, they turn to drugs. When there is drug addiction going on, drug addicts break into houses.
Let me ask you now, what is the number one mistake homeowners are making in terms of making themselves vulnerable for a break-in?
Well, number one, they think it can't happen to them, that it only happens to other people. And number two, they don't lock their doors. Just locking your doors can really deter a burglary, and they don't do anything in addition to protect themselves.
What are some other things folks can do? Simple things, for example, Robert, I hear people say, hey, if you leave the house, leave the TV on. Maybe that'll throw a potential burglar off thinking that someone's actually in the house, for example.
TV on, radio on, signage saying beware of dog, signage saying this home is alarmed.
What about alarms, security systems? How difficult are those to install? What about a, you know, a price point, things of that nature?
You can do a do-it-yourself alarm for a few hundred dollars, $99 installed by a reputable home security company. Alarm monitoring itself is a dollar a day. Cup of macchiato is $4 a day. So do I go home alarm system or do I go macchiato? I'm going with preventing a home invasion.
And speaking of that, you really need to be mindful of what's going on in your neighborhood and even at your own door. There are scammers out there. We've heard stories of Someone coming to the door claiming to be from the water department or something like that. And in a lot of cases, they're not, obviously, and they're just sort of casing your home. Isn't that right?
Yeah, I've done that scam before on the Montel Williams Show. It's real easy to pull off, unfortunately. And the bad guys are always looking for the path of least resistance. And just like we tell our kids not to talk to strangers, don't open up your door to a total stranger. Call a supervisor, make sure in fact a repair or delivery is being made.
And if you are a victim, we hear that police are dealing with a lot of issues right now, but you still want to report this even though they may not have time to actually come out and go searching for a suspect here. But certainly a case where there have been a lot of break-ins in one neighborhood, police need to know about that.
Yeah, law enforcement has to know that there's been a burglary because that means, you know, their radar is going to be that much higher to that particular neighborhood. They might see a certain trend going on and it helps them to catch the bad guy.
And what advice do you have to those who have been victims of crime like this, Robert, especially in terms of feel violated, the home feels unsafe?
Yeah, that's a real problem. People often feel very violated. A black cloud develops over their home and they want to move out. The best thing you could do is to prevent this from happening in the first place. Lock your doors, effective signage, you know, put timers in and around your house, keep the TV on, and get yourself an alarm system.
And you hate to say it in this day and age, but don't trust anybody.
You know, it's— you don't want to live paranoid. You know, paranoia does not help you, does not protect you. But you are not responsible for your house getting broken into. But you are in the best position to prevent it in the first place.
All right, and by the way, we did a special on this very subject. If you'd like to see the entire piece with Robert, you can log on to our website, myfoxboston.com. Good advice as always, Robert Siciliano. We appreciate your time this morning.
Thank you, Gene.
All right, we gotta take a break. It's 7:40. We'll be right back here on the Fox 25 Morning News.
