Burglary Prevention Tips- From a Professional Thief?

Who better to share tips on preventing burglary than someone who has committed the crime hundreds of times?

Walter Shaw is a former professional burglar that has broken into hundreds of homes over the past few decades stealing well over a few million dollars worth of goods. After being released from prison in 1987- he now works as a reformed home security consultant and even produced his own instructional video in 1990, “It Took a Thief to Stop a Thief”.

The video covers everything from the criminal psychology behind locks, alarms, lighting and windows. It has been described as the homeonwers answer to the question, “What can I do to keep my home and family safe?”

For Shaw’s specific tips, you’ll have to catch the video.  However, I’ve compiled a ton of similar tips below that I found on CrimeDoctor.com:

Wood/Metal Doors and Locks:

Sliding-Glass Doors

• Use a secondary blocking device on all sliding glass doors
• Keep the latch mechanism in good condition and properly adjusted
• Keep sliding door rollers in good condition and properly adjusted
• Use anti-lift devices such as through-the-door pins or upper track screws
• Use highly visible alarm decals, beware of dog decals or block watch decal

Windows

• Secure all accessible windows with secondary blocking devices
• Block accessible windows open no more than 6 inches for ventilation
• Make sure someone cannot reach through an open window and unlock the door
• Make sure someone cannot reach inside the window and remove the blocking device
• Use anti-lift devices to prevent window from being lifted out
• Use crime prevention or alarm decals on ground accessible windows

Lighting

Alarm Systems