THE CREEDMOOR CIVIC ASSOCIATION
Next Meeting - Monday, December 11, 2023
For the October (and other) newsletters, please visit our newsletter page.
Thank you to the 105th Precinct for all their work on eliminating Hillside Avenue of so many of those illegally-parked tractor trailers.
The Creedmoor Civic Association's 2022 Halloween Parade
was a great success!
Thank you to all who participated.
Twenty-two Things A Burglar Might Not Tell You.
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers and circulars piled up on your steps. And I might leave a pizza or real estate flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.
5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.
6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.
7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door - that's understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.
9. I always knock or ring your bell first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)
10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
11. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll probably take it with me.
12. A loud TV or radio can sometimes be a better deterrent than the best alarm system.
13. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
14. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
15. Your dog that barks at every little thing will probably be ignored by your neighbors. Teach that dog when to be quiet.
16. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.
17. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?
18. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.
19. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an open invitation.
20. If you know your neighbor pretty well, and he has a visitor spending too much time walking around the house looking for him, you have every right to be suspicious. It could be me.
21. Do yourself a favor, and lock up your ladder, even if it's behind the garage and you think no one can find it. I'm sure your neighbor's not going to appreciate it if I borrow your ladder for a few minutes to get into his second floor rear window.
22. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers and circulars piled up on your steps. And I might leave a pizza or real estate flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.
5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.
6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.
7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door - that's understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.
9. I always knock or ring your bell first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)
10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
11. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll probably take it with me.
12. A loud TV or radio can sometimes be a better deterrent than the best alarm system.
13. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
14. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
15. Your dog that barks at every little thing will probably be ignored by your neighbors. Teach that dog when to be quiet.
16. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.
17. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?
18. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.
19. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an open invitation.
20. If you know your neighbor pretty well, and he has a visitor spending too much time walking around the house looking for him, you have every right to be suspicious. It could be me.
21. Do yourself a favor, and lock up your ladder, even if it's behind the garage and you think no one can find it. I'm sure your neighbor's not going to appreciate it if I borrow your ladder for a few minutes to get into his second floor rear window.
22. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.