• Aug 04, 2019 Be aware, be vigilant to help protect against home burglaries
    Gary Sandler
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    Published 4 August 2019

    Editor’s note: This is part one of a two-part series. Read part two.

    The story I’m about to share with you is true. It took place on a sunny Saturday morning a few years ago. I’m sharing the details with you now because, according to the Las Cruces Police Department’s website, “The Las Cruces Police Department has investigated an increased number of daytime burglaries over the years where a perpetrator has kicked open the front door to gain entry to a home.”

    The story began on that dreadful September day, when the home of my very dearest friend was burglarized. As a front-row observer to the aftermath, I witnessed the coming together of the circumstances leading up to the event. It was the deconstruction of those circumstances that led me to conclude that the burglary could have been prevented.

    Here’s how the story unfolded: According to police interviews with my friend’s neighbors, someone kicked in her front door at around 10 a.m. That’s when the next-door neighbor reported hearing a loud “sound” coming from the home. Shortly thereafter, a second neighbor observed two men walking down the street and away from the property. Neither thought that what they saw was out of the ordinary, so they went about their respective business. Lucky for my friend, she wasn’t at home.

    Around 30 minutes later, another neighbor reported hearing the sound of my friend’s car alarm blaring from the garage. Like the other two neighbors, she thought nothing of the noise and went about her business. Shortly after the alarm sounded, the first neighbor observed a family transferring one of their children from an unknown vehicle into my friend’s car, which was now parked in front of the house. Both cars drove away. My friend arrived home about 30 minutes later.

    Upon investigation, police determined that the two men kicked in the front door and entered the home at around 10 a.m. While inside, they ransacked the place and gathered together everything they intended to steal. The culprits then left the residence and walked down the street. After returning in their automobile a short while later, they gathered their contraband and made room for it in their car by transferring one of their children, and her car seat, into my friend’s car. In a matter of minutes, my friend’s belongings, her vehicle and the perpetrators were long gone.

    Could this situation have been prevented? I firmly believe so. As with most catastrophic incidents, it’s the convergence of a number of small events that combine to trigger the main event. That’s exactly what happened in this case. For starters, three nearby residents missed an opportunity to thwart the assault. While most of my friend’s neighbors know one another, they didn’t actively work together to protect each other’s interests.
    Would more attention have been paid to the noises if a Neighborhood Watch program had been in place? Perhaps. The whole purpose of the program is to raise awareness. Then there’s the issue of the home itself, which was ill protected.

    Most burglaries take place through open doors and windows, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. DOJ reports that in a third of completed burglaries, the burglar forced entry into the home. Burglars gained entry through an unlocked door or open window in about two-thirds of the cases. DOJ also notes that in 28 percent of burglaries, people were at home. Seven percent of burglaries turn violent; as in the case of fellow Realtor Jack Hadley, who was tragically murdered in 2011 when he confronted an intruder in his Las Cruces home.

    So how many layers of security are required to protect a home from your average, everyday housebreaker? After accompanying my friend on her mission to answer that very question, I can suggest a few low cost and effective methods that’ll help get the job done. I’ll do exactly that in next week’s column.

    See you at closing.

    Gary Sandler is a full-time Realtor and president of Gary Sandler Inc., Realtors in Las Cruces. He loves to answer questions and can be reached at 575-642-2292 or Gary@GarySandler.com.

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      Gary Sandler