Portland's KGW wanted to give viewers some advice on how to keep their homes safe from burglars, so they went straight to the source—in the form of questionnaires sent to 86 inmates serving time for burglary in Oregon. Here's a sampling of responses:
- Avoid tip-offs: "NRA sticker on car bumper = Lots of guns to steal."
- Avoid tip-offs, take II: "Would drive through upper class neighborhoods looking for many things, like porch light on with all window blinds closed."
- Early morning or afternoon is prime time: "Between 12:30pm and 2:30pm. Anyone that was home for lunch should be gone by then and most kids should all still be in school."
- Every inmate would knock on the front door first. If someone answered? "Sometimes I would wear nice clothing and print a questionnaire off the Internet and carry a clipboard and see if they could spare a moment for an anonymous survey." Another said he'd ask about his lost dog.
- “In my opinion, I think homeowners should always leave a TV or radio on."
- “Dogs are a deal breaker for me. Big breeds, home protectors are the best to keep people out.”
