Don’t let your home be a steal if it’s for sale

Randy Sibbett

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008 | midnight

The following comes from Officer Aaron Johnson, business liaison officer:

Over the past few weeks, I have been speaking with residents of our community who became victims of property crimes such as stolen checks, credit cards, jewelry, and driver's licenses. The unfortunate part about these incidents is that they were all avoidable.

Each perpetrator (stranger) was invited into the home by the victim. The bottom line is, we have to stop being so trusting.

The scenario goes like this: You are selling your home, or selling a home for another. A potential buyer approaches either by making an appointment or knocking on your door and asks to see your house.

Unbeknownst to you, this person's true intention is to either leave with your property while they are there by stealing your wallet or jewelry, or return when you are not home and burglarize it.

Help us help you by following these few steps:

Get good information

If you are a real estate agent, run a credit check and ensure that the buyer can afford the house they are looking at.

Write down the information on their driver's license and the license plate number of whatever vehicle they are driving. As a homeowner, ensure that your agent is following this practice.

If the buyer is worried about ID theft, explain to them why you need this information.

You know as well as I do that the personal information needed to buy a home is far greater than what is available to you on a driver's license.

Trust your gut instinct

Of all the reports that I have taken, each victim told me, "I just didn't feel right about this person" or "something was telling me not to let this person in my home."

I know Officer Sibbett has written about J.D.L.R. (Just Doesn't Look Right), which we learn as part of our academy training. Please keep it in the back of your mind at all times: If it doesn't seem right, it's probably not.

Secure your valuables

Don't leave your purse, wallet, jewelry or even medication where someone can take it.

Get a safety deposit box to store your valuables, and the things you may need day to day place in the trunk of your car, lock your car and keep the keys in your pocket while you are showing your house.

Don't let them divide your attention

Keep everyone together as a group. If a couple comes in and one wants to see the backyard and the other wants to see the back bedroom, your response should be, "All right, but we will all see one at a time."

Tell them you want to make sure that you are available to answer questions when they come up.

Don't leave town without telling someone

If you have a neighbor you trust or a Neighborhood Watch captain, ask if they can keep an eye on your house while you are gone. Give them your phone number, both where you are staying and your cell phone.

Write down the times you will be gone and who should be there to take care of pets or water the plants. If work is being done on the house while you are gone, write down who should be there and when.

Watch out for each other

Each of us has a relatively good idea of the cars we see in our neighborhoods, so keep an eye out. Boulder City residents have always been good at reporting suspicious activities, and we respond to each call. If the activities are legitimate, we will confirm that and be on our way.

In the Marine Corps, especially since Sept. 11, we were taught to make ourselves a "hard target" to mitigate the potential threat. We strongly recommend that you make yourselves a hard target for potential criminal acts.

Yes, crime occurs even here in Boulder City, yet we can minimize the potential for becoming a victim by implementing these tips. Please help us by making yourself less attractive to the criminals.

Together we can continue to make Boulder City one of the safest communities in Nevada.

Weekly Statistics

Incident reports — 33

Traffic stops — 187

Citations issued — 92

Adult arrests — 21

Juvenile arrests — 0

Animal control calls — 82

Randy Sibbett, a Boulder City patrol officer, can be contacted at rsibbett@bcnv.org.