A homeowner in South Austin has surveillance cameras on his house. He captured footage of someone trying to break into his house. You can view the footage here. Sorry, can’t embed it, but go to the article then click on the video link.

What I saw in the video:

• It was the middle of the day, not the dead of night. Most home invasions happen between 10 AM and 3 PM. Why? Because people are at work. Less chance of someone being home, less chance of any neighbor seeing them.
• The criminal was looking for easy access. He checked the front door to see if it was unlocked. Went around back and checked the back door. Looked like he was also checking windows. While wood doors, hardiplank and drywall, glass, and the simple locks on most houses aren’t going to stop a determined individual, they certainly can work. A lot of crime is crime of opportunity. If they can find an unlocked door, slip in, grab something, slip out, all the better. Trying to kick down a door risks attracting attention, which is the last thing the criminal wants. Lock your doors and windows.
• As the footage was edited I’m not entirely sure about this, but it looked like when he checked the front door he was making an effort to verify if anyone was home. He looked through the door’s window, and it appeared like he was ringing the doorbell. If there’s a ring at the doorbell, remember that you are under no obligation to answer the door. Or if you do wish to answer it, you’re under no obligation to open the door (you can say “Who is it?” and have a brief conversation through a door just fine).

What did you take from watching the video?