Armed Robbers in Newark, NJ Score Big
NEW JERSEY (OCN) — Some Newark, NJ robbers were on a roll Friday night.
The armed group alledgedly broke into a home (close to midnight Saturday) at 332 Bloomfield Avenue just a few blocks from Branch Brook Park where they restrained the occupants who were left unharmed.
So how much was scored by the group? A whopping US$10.00 in coins according to reports.
How can you protect yourself? Here are a few tips.
At least once per week, you will have to put out the trash or recycle. An empty garbage can in front of your home tells burgulars you are not at home to remove it and is an invitation for them to break in.
If you tend to get home really late to move your can, here is what you can do.
1. Invest in heavy duty trash bags and discard your trash in them without the garabe can. This can work if bears, etc, do not live near to you to destroy the bags.
2. Ask your neighbor to move your arbage can out of site and even return the favor when I get home before them.
Other items outside that would be seeked out by intruders are:
1. Mail. A mailbox that can not lock is a invitation for identity theft and stacking up mail lets one know you aren’t home. Friend or neighbor can help move stacking up mail when you are out of town.
2. Newspaper. Stacked papers also lets one know you are away. Ask a friend to pick them up for you or suspend delivery.
3. Motor oil. Motor oil leaks in the driveway shows that you have a vehicle and an empty driveway shows you aren’t home so clean up your spills weekly.
4. Lawn. An unkept lawn shows nobody is home to maintain it or is elderly and can’t do it themselves.
5. Garage. If you have a garage, there is a good chance you have tools in it which can be used to break into your own home. Make sure the windows and doors are locked if it is an attached or detached garage.
6. Ladders. Got a ladder? Put a bicycle lock on it. A home ownner was home and never heard bold thieves using her stretch ladder to loot her second floor while she was downstairs relaxing watching TV and cooking.
7. Power. Power tools from your garage or a live AC outlet outside the house makes it faster for someone to enter the house. These days with remodeling, people won’t think your home is being robbed. If you have an AC outlet, make sure you can turn it off from inside the house when you leave.
8. Home Alarm Stsyem. Most people watch TV and always see Home alarm systems advertised and sign up for one in their home. Its a good investment as some will save you up to 20% on your home insurance but there is one thing that is overlooked and that is …… the sign.
Yes, the ads show you to stick it on your lawn and doing so makes your lawn a billboard for the company giving them a freebie. If you live on a main road, some Home Security companies will even pay you a visit to have one installed in your home at no cost.
The sign (which acts like a beacon) lets a thief know you have something valuable inside and that they should take a look and see what it is. Once they get in, they already know what security system you have and would have taken the right steps to prepare themselves in breaking in disable the alarm in under 30 seconds. If its something new, most will try to steal the keypad to learn how to bypass it so make sure its well hidden. They may not come back for a visit but the next home owner with a similar setup will be an easy target.