Busting the burglars

Menlo has seen dramatic climb in residential, vehicular burglaries; we don't have to accept it
By GLENN RAGIO

After the tape re-wound, I watched it again, and then again. I was caught in the boldness of it all. The camera even recorded the exact time -- 8:04 a.m.
The suspect exited his car, smashed the window of the vehicle next to him, grabbed a purse and cel phone, calmly got in his car and drove out of the lot -- but he wasn't done.
Two minutes later he was back, drove to another part of the lot, and repeated the act again. People walked right by him, entering and exiting the business; other cars drove in and out of the lot without a clue. The security camera caught it all.
No one else saw it, they simply weren't looking.
While statistics show a drop in violent crimes, burglaries are on a definite and critical rise.
Burglaries present less risk for the offender. He works his own hours. He may or may not plan well ahead. He has methods and contacts to fence the stolen property, literally minutes after it's been stolen.
Menlo Park has seen a dramatic climb in both residential and vehicle burglaries, and neighboring cities are suffering the same plague.
Perhaps it's time to examine the problem afresh. Asking new questions may produce new insights.
For instance: When and how did the word "prevention" become compromised to words like "deter," "dissuade" and "inhibit." We've come to accept a certain amount of crime, in particular the crime of burglary. Some are resigned to the fact that it will not go away. While alarms, locks, lights and dogs make us feel safer, we ultimately don't feel safe.
After I viewed the aforementioned surveillance tape, I began to see some of the problem. We have taken refuge in our personal environment. Our schedules and routines have become so programmed we are driven to a great degree by our "private clocks."
We keep our eyes straight ahead and walk an unvarying line to our destinations, our appointments. We drive the same way, distracting ourselves only long enough to change the channel on the radio. Meanwhile, burglars are taking advantage of these routines.
A constant reexamination of our personal environment is the only reasonable means to pro-activity and an abatement of opportunity for the burglar.
As in the tape, a great percentage of crimes can be and are actually viewed by citizens everyday. The burglar knows about our tunnel-vision and depends on it to be successful.
Expand your view

Police are trained to look laterally as well as to the road ahead while driving. How often do you look at your surroundings while driving? Do you look at your neighbors house when leaving or arriving at your home? When chronic alarms (car or house) go off in your neighborhood, do you take the time to pull back the curtains to look?

When you park at work or in a shopping mall, do you take a few seconds to look at your immediate surroundings for anyone suspicious? Do you note the color and type of vehicle he or she may be associated with? When you see a cell phone or a purse in a neighbor's or coworker's vehicle, do you advise them about it?

Do you take notice when there is a stranger standing between two parked cars? (There is no good reason for someone to be loitering in a parking lot.)

When leaving your house, do look for occupied parked vehicles you're not familiar with, or a suspicious car driving slowly through your street?

When a stranger comes to your door and clearly has a weak reason for being there, do you call the police?

We react to crime with a sense of inevitability. Practicing vigilance in our personal environments can become as rote as the schedules we assign ourselves to.

Discussing all the questions in the paragraph above with all the members of your family can be a considerable start. Become aware of what to look for. Practice with your intuition and your instincts will follow.

Interesting irony

The very goal of the car burglar -- the cell phone -- is likely the best weapon we have against him. We have a tool to report suspicious activity almost immediately.

That innate curiosity we all have makes us all amateur sleuths of a sort. When faced with circumstances that will not stand normal examination, we can simply dial 911, virtually anywhere at any time. We no longer have to wait to get home to call, or to find a phone elsewhere, giving the burglar time to escape. And it all can be done anonymously!

In the meantime, and hopefully for a long time, teach yourself and your family to be curious. Burglars visit every part of this city, from Sharon Heights to Belle Haven. We may live in different neighborhoods, but we are ultimately connected to the same street.