Residential burglar Anthony Ferguson talks candidly about his career as a thief and his strategy for breaking into over 600 homes in Charlotte.
1. Cover
Anthony describes his first strategy by looking for cover. High fences and tall shrubs were key elements for Anthony choosing a target home.
Tip: Evaluate the surroundings of your home. Do you have potential hiding places or cover for burglars? Make sure your landscaping is open and leaves little room for hiding.
2. Toys
Anthony says the things he looked for in a yard depended on what type of thief he was. If he was looking for jewelry we searched for homes that had toys in the yard because they usually indicated a woman lived there. Anthony correlated women to jewelry therefore he felt he had a high chance of finding what he was looking for if toys were in the yard.
Tip: What does your yard say about you? Burglars use objects found in yards to stereotype homeowners. If you've got children make sure their toys are not strewn across the yard.
3. If House Has an Alarm
After finding cover and the type of homeowner he wanted, Anthony then looked for potential threats. If the home has an alarm system he avoided it determining it to be too big a risk.
Tip: Home security systems can thwart burglars. If your home is not equipped with a home security system, find a provided and get a quote. Several of our top ranked home security companies have DIY home security systems at extremely affordable prices.
4. Neighbor's Homes on Both Sides
Anthony knows the power of neighbors. Neighbors are nosey. If something seems amiss more times than not they'll notify the authorities. To avoid this threat Anthony checks both sides of the home for neighbors and homes.
Tip: Reach out to your neighbors. Let them know when you're leaving out of town and enable them to notify the authorities if something seems peculiar.
5. Disguise
Burglars are tricky. Anthony frankly states that people have prejudices and stereotypes of certain people. As a burglar Anthony avoids being found out by dressing up in discreet yard outfits.
Tip: While we never encourage stereotyping or prejudices we do admonish you to be aware and prudent of strangers in your neighborhood regardless of race or gender.
6. Knock Knock
Anthony's last trick was to knock on the target's home door. Like most burglars Anthony wanted to avoid potential confrontations, therefore he employed the simplest method he could think of--knocking.
Tip: Leave a light on in your home. There are also devices that simulate the noise of a barking dog when activated through motion sensors. If you're not home, home security systems are the best method to prevent theft.
