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4.0 THE MIND OF A THIEF; HOW TO PREVENT CRIME, ACCIDENTS, INJURIES

Fishermen have a saying: in order to catch a fish, you have to think like a fish. If you want to guard yourself against the criminal mind, it helps to understand how thieves think. This is my own personal understanding.

Thieves are in a hurry. They want to steal as quickly as possible before they are noticed. So anything you can do that will slow them down will help. In your home, for example, you want to force them to break glass to enter. You cannot and should not turn your house into a fortress. But if you can make it very difficult for a thief to open a window or enter through your door you have protected yourself against all but the most fool hardy thieves.

Criminals do not want to be seen or call attention to themselves. So adding a security light to your home, walking in bright lights in a parking lot, or sounding a loud alarm is a good deterrent.

They go after the easy pickings. That is why they prey on the elderly. They look for cars that are unlocked or that have keys in the ignition (which happens in about a third of car thefts) or houses where they can open a window. They look for empty houses where the owner is away.

They go were the money is. They often frequent malls and shopping centers because they can choose from a variety of people and vehicles.

They steal stuff that is easy to carry away and that is easy to sell or cannot be traced. They will grab cash, VCRs, TVs, cameras, car stereos, power tools, and portable computers. However, if they see something that they can steal easily they will snatch that too. This is why you should always put luggage and tools in your trunk or at least cover them up.

Because the temptation is too great, they may attack people who look like they have money. They might attack a person walking alone in an empty parking garage because that person is vulnerable.

They will avoid a car or house that looks hard to break into. They will avoid stealing anything with obvious identification marks. They stay away from dogs or homes where they think there is a dog.

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