How to Catch a Burglar: 5 Ways to Stop a Thief
According to a study conducted by the Knoema Corporation, Canada ranks seventeenth in the number of burglaries per year, number one being Chile. So though we’re better off than many other countries, you still run the risk of returning home one night to find your home ransacked, your valuables taken.
Fortunately, burglaries are becoming less frequent thanks to advancements in home protection and technology. Smart homes, police training, along with a range of sophisticated security alarm systems have all contributed in making it that much harder for a criminal to enter your home. Here are just some ways on how to catch a burglar – in the act or afterwards.
1. Bluetooth Technology
Reportedly, only one in eight burglaries are cleared in the U.S. every year. In 2017, the offices of the company Roambee were looted overnight. The break-in was fairly low-tech -a few jimmied locks and smashed security cameras. It was unlikely the thieves would be caught, until the co-founder realized the criminals had taken some hardware used to monitor GPS, Bluetooth and altitude. With that, they managed to track the criminals.
This was the first known incident, outside of a low-jacked car, that a criminal was caught using Bluetooth locators. Now, nearly every electronic device is somehow connected to the internet, and if you aren’t dealing with some sort of cyber genius, it’s unlikely the criminal is even aware they can be tracked via IP addresses and wifi signatures. As a result, thefts have plummeted. If you have a lot of electronic equipment in your house, it’s wise to be certain they can easily be tracked.
2. Dogs
This is the old standard. A sign outside your house reading “Beware of Dog” will actually make a burglar think twice about even trying to enter your home. Even if you don’t have a pet, the sign alone is enough of a deterrent. Burglars rarely do the kind of surveillance you see them do in the movies – or “casing” the place – so they’re more likely to just move on to the next house.
3. DNA
Should you be burglarized, it’s quite possible the offender has been scoping out your house – at least for a day. And since burglars are often repeat offenders, their DNA and fingerprints may be on record. So after you discover you’re home has been broken into, pay attention to the litter around your home. Cigarette butts, soda cans, anything that a careless crook may drop while waiting for you to leave for work could serve as evidence at their trial.
4. Smartwater
This is a relatively new advancement in how to catch a burglar, and the technology sounds like something straight out of an episode of CSI. Smartwater is a security system that, when activated by motion censors, sprays an invisible, UV-detectable mist. If you suspect a person has broken into your home and have a good idea who it is, police will now be able to confirm it with the same light they use to detect blood stains or semen.
5. Smart Security Camera Systems
Herein we enter the area of the super-rich, as Smart security systems are not exactly cheap. FST Biometrics was developed by the former head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate, initially intended to aid in security concerns of Palestinian workers for Gaza and the West Bank. It’s now sold stateside, relying on a complex combination of voice, face and behavioral recognition.
From your bone structure down to your gait, the system will identify you without even an iris scan or your fingerprints. Fingerprints can be copied in plastic, FST’s intricate system is virtually impossible to fake-out. So if a burglar attempts to enter your home, you will instantly be notified. The system is already in place in some upscale condos and apartments in New York City.
Amateurs may make the foolish mistake that they can jimmy a lock, smash a door and grab what they can, but every day technology is making it more and more complicated. It’s getting to the point where a simple smash-and-grab can’t be accomplished. And while a lot of these techniques and security systems sound like something out of Robocop or Demolition Man, they are quickly becoming real and available to the general public.
