Whether you’re a homeowner, a business owner, or you’re responsible for whole swaths of different buildings across Milwaukee, there’s one thing all of these roles have in common: every property owner, to some extent, is worried about break-ins. Not only does a break-in generally mean the loss of valuables, but it almost always means damage to your property itself — and, more than that, a break-in can have a major impact on how safe your family or employees feel. So, no matter what kind of property you own, it’s only logical that you want to do as much as possible to protect your home, business, or commercial property from even attempts at burglary.
In order to have the best protection, a big part of that is being aware of potential burglary warning signs. If you have questions, connect with your local locksmith team for more in-depth information, but start with these commonplace signs that burglars are active:
You Notice Strange Vehicles
Take this one with a grain or salt — or at least, with an ounce of extra awareness. Noticing strange vehicles in a residential neighborhood can be easy, especially when there’s an unmarked van making slow laps up and down every street. In a city setting, and in more retail-oriented areas, watching for strange vehicles can be harder because there is so much more traffic. Despite the chaos of busy streets, it’s important to have a simple awareness of what happens around your property. Take note of unmarked vehicles that loiter for longer periods of time, or ones that circle the area slowly and frequently, as these may be individuals trying to scan for potential targets.
You Notice Strange People
In a similar vein, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out on the passersby in your area. Now, especially if you own a business, you may not know all of your neighbors, plus you have to contend with any number of customers/clients coming and going throughout the day. It can be difficult to pick out potential burglars from that ever-revolving crowd. Of course, your security system is going to be a big helper when your space is locked up for the night, but unless you have a solid access control system, it’s harder to make sure that you don’t have strangers trying to break into restricted areas during the day.
A statistic that surprises many property owners is that more burglaries happen during the day than at night. In residential areas, this is mostly because most people in the home are away at work or school during the day, but home at night. Unless the burglar targets vacationers only, daytime break-ins offer the most potential for success. And, in a similar vein, many business break-ins happen during the day, but for different reasons. In these cases, many burglars choose to break in during the day because it’s easier to hide their activities behind the hustle and bustle of your everyday business operations.
In order to protect against these kinds of burglaries, look out for:
- People strolling by and taking photos. It’s one thing to snap a selfie or two, or maybe take a picture of the wildlife, but if you notice someone strolling by and taking photos of the buildings, they could be looking for signs of a security system as well as access points.
- Free solicitation. This doesn’t mean all door-to-door salesmen are inherently burglars, but it is a common method of scoping out a place. Be particularly wary of those offering a service for free, like free carpet cleaning. Also be on the lookout for those doing anonymous surveys.
- Requests for help. It’s one thing to have a customer/client ask to use the bathroom; it’s another entirely to have someone claiming to be a neighbor show up and make an odd request, like the loan of a seemingly innocuous item, like office supplies. Legitimate requests from nearby businesses will probably come from someone wearing a nametag, uniform, or other professional markers.
You Notice Strange Marking
Another fairly common sign that burglars are around is if you start to notice odd markings or stickers around. Stickers, permanent marker or spray paint “tagging,” and even chalk marks are ways that burglars will make a note after they have cased a property. It can be a subtle difference, but if you notice strange stickers or markings near your property and others in the area, it might be a signal that burglars have been casing the local properties.
What to Do About It
Now, if you notice any of these signs, you’ll almost certainly want to take action. We recommend starting with a security assessment, just to be sure your locks and security system are as effective as they can be. This is also an opportunity to bolster your existing security with new lock installation, improved access security options, and so on. Start by connecting with your local locksmith in Milwaukee, Urich Lock, to schedule your consultation today.
