Keep Burglars Guessing

Fri., June 23, 2000

By Kandis Carper kandisc@spokesman.com

Yellowing newspapers on the front steps, mail hanging out of the mail box and overgrown lawns create a welcome mat for would-be burglars.

The Burglary Prevention Council has declared June Burglary Prevention Month. Most communities experience a 10- to 18-percent increase in home burglaries during June, July and August. That’s when neighborhoods empty for summer vacation season.

“It’s easy for people to forget the simple, common-sense steps to safeguard their residence. The key is to create an illusion of everyday activity,” says Tony DeMarco, council spokesman. DeMarco recommends these tips for safeguarding your home while you are on vacation:

* Stop mail and newspaper delivery, or have a trusted neighbor collect them while you are away so that they don’t accumulate.

* Ask the police to check your home and patrol your neighborhood more closely while you are away.

* Use automatic timers. Timers can be set to turn on and off lights, radios and TVs at varying times of the day.

* Illuminate the yard area. Darkness is the burglar’s best friend. Doorways and the rear of the house should be lighted with cost-effective, low-voltage lighting to minimize dark spaces.

* Arrange to have your lawn mowed, or in the winter have your walks shoveled.

* Keep some shades and blinds up and curtains open to maintain a normal appearance.

For further information, a free booklet can be obtained by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope, plus $1 for postage and handling, to the Burglary Prevention Council, 221 North LaSalle St., Suite 3500, Chicago, IL 60601-1520. It may also be downloaded from the council’s Web site at www.burglaryprevention.org.

* Tip of the day: Want to keep appliances such as washers and dryers looking new and shiny and at the same time protect their finish? Give them a rubdown with high quality auto wax once a year, or as necessary (From the homestore.com Web site).

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.