10Things Retired Cops Do Every Night That Keep Burglars Away (Most Homeowners Don't)

A burglar decides about your house in under a minute, and he decides from the sidewalk. These are the ten things on an ordinary property that answer his checklist for him — and the reason the free ones matter more than the ones you pay for. Most residential break-ins happen in daylight, on weekdays, while the house is empty. Researchers at UNC Charlotte surveyed more than 400 convicted burglars and found the decision gets made in under a minute. Around a third of entries come straight through a door. When a Portland TV station wrote to 86 convicted burglars in Oregon prisons, cameras ranked far below a car in the driveway, noise inside, a dog, and neighbors who pay attention. Everything in this video comes to about $152 and two weekends. CHAPTERS 00:00 What a stranger reads from your sidewalk 01:20 10 — Forty feet of warning 03:00 9 — The two windows that actually matter 04:40 8 — The dark side of your own lot 06:20 7 — The frame, not the lock 08:10 Who you are actually up against 09:30 6 — What the ground sounds like 10:55 5 — The openings you stopped counting 12:35 4 — What you leaned against your own house 14:05 Why the free ones rank higher 15:35 3 — Where a man could stand 17:00 2 — What your curb says about you 18:35 1 — Walk it from his side 20:05 The list, added up The screws, or the ladder? One costs four dollars and the other costs nothing. Tell me which one you actually did. Whichever wins gets its own video. SAFETY AND SCOPE Nothing here is advice about confronting anyone. If someone is in your home, the goal is distance, a locked door and a phone call — not a fight. Never modify a door or window in a way that blocks an emergency exit. Check your lease before altering anything if you rent. SUBSCRIBE #homedefense #homesecurity #burglarprevention #hometips #safety