New Delhi: With Summer vacations, families planning to pack their bags and move out of the city might just need a word of caution on the dos and don'ts while leaving their house.
With a little laxity, people might just expose their house to anti-social elements giving them hints that they are away.
There are certain precautions that need to be taken before you set out on a journey. The first and foremost hint that thieves get is from the newspaper pile at the doors. Remember, the theft at Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi's house in south east Delhi's Kalkaji in 2017.
The newspaper pile at his house gave the first hint to the burglars that he was away. It's always advisable to ask your newspaper vendor to stop delivery of papers for a specific period. Also, you can ask a neighbour to collect the papers from your door if you want to get extra cautious.
Don't park your car too close to the boundary wall of your house, or else you might unintentionally help the burglars scale the wall of your house using the car. Also, a low-watt bulb should be kept lit so that the burglars get the impression that someone is present at the house. "Burglars have their own network, all you need to do is confuse them with the precautionary measures so that they don't find your house a potential target. You just have to trick them into believing that someone is at home and watching," said a senior police officer.
Also, it is advisable not to discuss your private travel plan with housemaids or vendors in the area. Sometimes, the information leak could prove costly as several burglar groups have a network and could use the information for theft. "Try not to keep jewellery and money at home; bank locker could be an option. In case the burglar strikes, he should not get expensive items that could be hidden easily inside pockets or bags," said an officer. Though CCTV cameras in the area could help police to get some leads about burglars in case they strike, they, however, couldn't deter the theft itself. Community policing and neighbourhood watch could also help people to keep burglars away.