The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Simple steps to keep burglars away

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 16, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Simple steps to keep burglars away

K. Satyamurty gives a few tips to safeguard your home.

THE RECENT spate of burglaries in several parts of Bangalore and suburbs has made the police repeat their warning to householders about taking certain precautions if they are likely to be away for several days. Of course, these precautions also apply to those leaving their house or apartment locked and spending long hours away at work in another part of the city.

"Houses or flats which are left unattended for days together or even for an entire day on a regular basis are invariably targeted by burglars. It becomes an easy job for them to force open the door lock... Some burglars can pick open even the best of locks within minutes; after that everything inside a house is theirs for the taking,'' a senior police officer said.

On Mahalaya Amavasya day, quite a few burglaries occurred though not all were reported to the police; in some cases the losses were more on account of damage to doors or window grills which were broken. Burglars also target houses during the wedding season when nobody is likely to be at home for the entire day.

In one instance in an upmarket apartment block in Jeevanbima Nagar police station limits, three young men from Uttar Pradesh were sharing a flat. All three were working in software firms and used to spend long hours at work. There were expensive electronic gadgets such as a laptop computer and a video camera left behind. One evening, they returned home to find that these items were missing. There was no evidence of the door having been forced open. The police believe some kind of duplicate key was used or the lock was cleverly picked without leaving a trace.

In another case on Tuesday, a doctor's house was burgled. Both he and his wife were away for the day, and when they returned they found that the lock had been forced open and Rs. 30,000 in cash and jewellery worth Rs. 70,000 were missing. This was at a first floor flat in Kamakshipalya.

What the police suggest are fairly simple precautions. "Let your immediate neighbours alone know that you are going to be away for some days or that your house or flat is being left empty for a whole day. Request your neighbours to keep a watch,'' a police officer said. Another measure which helps is to stop newspaper supply even if you are away for just two three days; three days of newspapers lying on your doorstep or front porch is a tell-tale sign that nobody is home. And an invitation to burglars.

Alarm system

"In fact, if anybody is going to be away for a fairly long period, say for a few weeks, perhaps vacationing abroad, it is a good idea to invest in a good alarm system fitted to doors and windows; it will alert the neighbours and passers-by,'' the police officer.

An alarm system, which does not cost more than a good music system, is a good investment if you leave valuables behind at home. Of course, keeping extra cash and jewellery in a bank locker during your vacation also helps. Informing the local police that you are likely to be away for a long period is your choice.

How to safeguard your home from burglars who can pick locks easily? A collapsible iron grill gate is suggested. It will mean at least two locks to be picked; a burglar may not consider it worth the trouble.

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Simple steps to keep burglars away