Police offer advice to discourage burglars

By Ben Holman

Nevada Daily Mail

No one wants to return to their home one day to find the house ransacked -- beds overturned, the contents of drawers strewn about the floor, personal papers rifled through and precious possessions carted away by a stranger.

It is also the subject of a new television series on the Discovery Channel -- "It Takes a Thief." On the show, two ex-cons break into people's houses -- after obtaining permission from the owners -- and show them everything that could happen in a real burglary. The homeowners sit with one of the ex-cons in a trailer and watch on video screens as the other breaks into their home and tears it apart, looking for anything that might appeal to a thief.

For participants on the show, it's a real eye opener as they face the grim reality of a home invasion. The hosts of the show pull no punches in their efforts, important family possessions are tossed aside or packed off without regard to their significance. In just 5 minutes, on average, the burglar was able to make off with upwards of $30,000 in possessions, leaving a path of destruction that might make the owner think a whole gang of thieves had converged on the home.

Of course, since it's only a television show, all of the stolen items are returned and the crew helps to reassemble the home. In addition, the participating families are given a security make-over and taught methods of protecting their home from burglars. However, no amount of security gear can protect a home if it is not used -- often times on the show, the subjects neglect to lock some doors or turn on security systems.

Even though Nevada is a small town, it is not immune to crime. Recently, in a just a week's time, there were seven burglaries reported to the Nevada police.

In order to help citizens better protect themselves from burglary, Assistant Chief Gary Herstein, of the Nevada Police Department offered some tips.

The most important thing that can be done to deter burglars is to simply remember to lock all doors, even when only going out for a few minutes. "Mainly if people would just take the precaution to lock their doors, a lot of these burglaries could be avoided." According to Allco insurance, 50 percent of burglars simply walk right in through unlocked doors.

However, some burglars are more determined and simply locking the doors will not keep them out.

Another suggestion offered by Herstein is to keep an eye on where you place your valuables -- keeping them in plain sight or in view of a window can entice a burglar. Also, be aware of who you bring into your home and make sure you know who your neighbors are.

Keep valuables and important paperwork in a secure place -- a burglar who gets away with personal information can steal an identity and end up with thousands of dollars.

When away from home, leave some lights on or put lights on timers to give a lived-in appearance -- leaving the radio on can also make it seem that the home is occupied. When leaving for vacation, contact the Nevada police department to have your house placed on the watch list and officers will drive by your home daily to ensure that nothing is wrong and if a call of suspicious activity comes in, they will know that the owner is away.

"A lot of the burglaries around here are from garages and sheds," said Herstein, and cautioned residents not to overlook the importance of securing them.

Of course, every break-in isn't reported, "A lot of times people come home and everything isn't where they left it," he said. If nothing is missing, or the owners can't determine if anything is missing, no report is written.

If crime is a concern in your area, Herstein also suggests starting a neighborhood watch group so that neighbors can help keep a watchful eye. There are many other tips that homeowners can follow to help secure their homes.

For more information, contact the Nevada Police Department at (417) 448-2710.