Where do Criminals look for valuables/guns inside your house?

[leonidas]

I did a quick search and couldn't find this subject. I'd love to hear anyone input. Especially if you have had a home invasion where the crooks have stolen guns/valuables. If you are reformed criminal, then I'd really like to hear your input and strategies on the subject.

Just trying to gather intel on where might be the best places to store valuable in the house to avoid being cleaned out during a burglary.

 

[The_Hunter]

Just trying to gather intel on where might be the best places to store valuable in the house to avoid being cleaned out during a burglary.

The best place to store valuables is in a safe... and it is best to have a safe that is locked

 

[A_FIVE-O]

When my parents house was kick door'ed on Christmas 3 years ago the bandits when straight to the master bedroom. They didn't touch any of the other rooms, but they destroyed everything in the master bedroom and walk-in closet. Lucky for my parents they were out of town, but I guess that's the reason they hit the house. I would hide things in the kitchen pantry if you didn't have a big ass safe.

 

[leonidas]

When my parents house was kick door'ed on Christmas 3 years ago the bandits when straight to the master bedroom. They didn't touch any of the other rooms, but they destroyed everything in the master bedroom and walk-in closet. Lucky for my parents they were out of town, but I guess that's the reason they hit the house. I would hide things in the kitchen pantry if you didn't have a big ass safe.

I suspected as much. I understand that the best place to store firearms is in a huge, difficult to move or cut safe, but wanted to start this post to get inside the mind of the criminal and figure out alternative places of hiding that may not be as obvious. Like smaller safes in various rooms or in walls/furniture/etc.

 

[TexasRedneck]

The harder it is to find, the less likely they are to do so. I have 2 1800-lb safes that scream "Here it IS!!" - but it ain't ALL in there. There's lots of places - but I ain't gonna talk about it on a forum that could be read by crooks, too.

 

[leonidas]

Well Redneck, it shows how naive I am at times. I didn't think about criminals on this website! Aren't we all just freedom lovin', gun totin' rednecks?????

 

[XinTX]

And if you have a safe, it had better be bolted down. Otherwise it just forms a carrying case. Some break ins here, the perps have opened a back window. Once they gain entry, if they hear the phone ring they know it's probably the alarm (security company typically calls to check for a false) so they know they only have limited time. If not, they call someone close in a van. They open the garage door and back in. Then close the door and take their time.

 

[Charlie]

For security, you can't beat a safe...............but without a safe, hide your valuables in ................(oops, better not say).

 

[MR Redneck]

I hide all my money in the dirty underwear pile.
figure nobody would look in there.

 

[txinvestigator]

As a former cop, I can tell you that you can't hide stuff unless you have a professionally installed "secret" area. Safes that are bolted down are a good thing.

 

[Texan2]

+100 for a huge safe. Mine aint bolted down but they would need a forklift or a pack of mules to move it. They also dont know where hiding places 2 through 76 are....

 

[matefrio]

+100 for a huge safe. Mine aint bolted down but they would need a forklift or a pack of mules to move it. They also dont know where hiding places 2 through 76 are....

You don't bolt it down to keep them from moving it... you bolt it down to not get tipped over so they can try and leverage the door.

 

[pawncop]

The thing that most professional burglars tell us, is that they want to in and out in under three to four minutes. Now the professional is going to know what he/she is going in for and where it is most likely. They will come in take what they can and not disturb anything that they can help. Having items spread out can be helpful, but they really do know where the most common hiding places are.

Now the less skilled burglar (the majority of thieves now a day) will tear up the place looking for whatever they can find.

Whatever your defense is, it should cast them time to get at whatever you have. So the advice of getting a large, heavy, bolted down safe is wise. You can secure more than just guns, and I recommend it be fire rated as well.

You need to have several levels of defense for your home and belongings.

It starts with not letting them hide close to your house - shrubs and bushes trimmed - exterior lighting so you can see and they can be seen. Secure doors and windows, screens etc to slow them down, and if you feel it's necessary an alarm system. But do not put much faith in the alarm, a good one is costly and it's value is questionable in my opinion. There will those that disagree I merely suggest you explore it thoroughly before you make the committment.

Hope you find this helpful. If your local police agency has a community service officer they can be a good resource for you as well.

Oh and record your serial numbers for every thing you have and engrave your state DL number on those items with serial numbers.

 

[dickttx]

We have a home in Ft Worth, where we usually spend Thurs thru Sun afternoon. About 3 years ago we got there one evening and as we were going up the stairs from the garage to the kitchen, my wife asked me why I had left the stair door open. By the time we both got up to the kitchen we could feel cold air coming in.
Someone had knocked out a window in the sun room at the back of the house and went completely thru the house. Everything in the house that could be move had been. There was not a big mess, nothing had been destroyed, but every drawer and closet in the house had been opened. The missing things were, DVD player, camera, computer. Didn't bother our old TV, VCR, or other outdated stuff.
Called the police and the burgulery officer came and looked and asked questions. He said an alarm would not have done any good at all.
Couple of months later got a call from the police at a small nearby town and they had caught the guy in a house. They recovered about three pickup loads of items, including my camera, DVD, and a few other items. Receipt for camera was in my camera bag with my name and phone number on it.
The nice thing was that I had just sold a pickup and had $4,000 in $100 bills stuck under something, in an unnamed place, which they didn't get. Probably the only item in the house they didn't pickup.
The guy had been out of prison about three weeks.

 

[Texan2]

You don't bolt it down to keep them from moving it... you bolt it down to not get tipped over so they can try and leverage the door.

cant tip it over...not enough space

 

[TexasRedneck]

5-point bolt-down, Grade 5 bolts, 1/2" diameter. If they kin git the 4 in each corner, all they gotta do is reach the one in the middle.... 1800 lbs, 72x40 - good luck! There's hidey-holes all over, some obvious, some not. Have some "junk" stuff pretty easy to find - hope is that they'll think "jackpot" and leave. Then again, they have about 4 minutes until there's PD response, so they wanna be purty quick....<evil laugh>

 

[zembonez]

You don't have to be a victim.

I believe in layers of defense.

• High Tech alarm system with motion sensors (mine has outside sirens mounted in the eave vents that will wake the dead, back up power supply, etc)
• Secure storage that would take hours to break in.
• Excellent hiding places (multiple) that would take lots of time to find.

Insurance. Insurance. Insurance.

...And doing everything I can to make it look like someone is always home. We have 4 cars, so there are always at least two in the driveway or parked in front of the house, plus we park two in the garage with the door always closed, so they have no clue if they are here or not...

Most burglary victims have never thought about levels of defense.

 

[Willy]

I agree with most of the above and would like to mention dogs. Nobody messes with our house because we have boxers outside and sometimes inside the house. Only get a dog if you want and like them. I hate seeing neglected dogs. I recently lost my favorite boxer and my other boxer is also getting pretty old. I'm considering getting her one of these for a new playmate.

 

[zembonez]

We aren't dog people. I love my neighbor's dogs... but they go home! I love dogs but don't want the extra responsibility. I would never take on a pet unless I was ready to devote the time they deserve to taking care of them.

 

[MR Redneck]

Yup! Dogs work better than anything. I would trust my dogs before I depended on my security camera's.
Dogs warn off bad people.