Home Security: Be Aware of Scouts

On a sunny Saturday afternoon I left my home around noon for about forty minutes. When I returned home a little neighbor girl, who had been riding her bike around the neighborhood, came to me and said a boy, about twelve years old, had been in my garage. She witnessed him enter the garage through the service door and spend a significant amount of time inside. As she told her story I debated with myself, "Am I really going to believe a ten-year old neighbor girl? Is it really that big of a deal? What is in my garage that is of value anyway? It's the middle of the day, and it's just a child, it's really no big deal." Was I right or wrong? I was absolutely wrong.

In this article my primary purpose is to inform you of what is happening in my local community, and very likely all around the country, and how you can protect yourself and your home from property theft.

I ignorantly convinced myself it was no big deal. I later found out it is a big deal and the boy in my garage was a scout, and I do not mean a Boy Scout. Scouting by definition is to search out, follow closely so as to spy upon, or to find by looking around. These scouts are in broad daylight, disguising themselves as regular folks taking a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood. While in reality they are scouting for items of value, and when they find something they can use or sell they return at night in an attempt to steal it. Yes, they are bold enough to walk into your garage, or anything else you have left unlocked.

We cannot prevent a scout from walking or driving by but we can arm ourselves with the knowledge of how to protect ourselves and our valuable possessions. There are very informative internet sites on how to protect your property.

The first practical step we took was to inform our neighbors, don't let them learn about scouting the hard way. Outdoor lighting is also very important, especially motion lights since they offer the element of surprise. Outdoor cameras are very affordable, and easy to install; often just the presence of a camera can deter questionable activity. Lastly, this is not Mayberry so lock your doors, even your garage doors.

My primary purpose in writing this article is to inform you of scouting. It is occurring and we need to be aware of it and begin taking precautions to protect from loss of property.

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