Poverty and Crime are Linked

In 2009, the Police Executive Research Forum surveyed over 200 local law enforcement agencies about crime trends. Local police departments said emphatically that poverty and crime are linked. (No surprise there. History has shown this to be true again and again.) And the longer the recession continues, it was suggested, the more crime there will be.

The Executive Director of the Police Executive Research Forum, Chuck Wexler, commented on the survey data: "This is a wake-up call and we anticipate the situation will continue to deteriorate."¹

Wexler was right. As the recession has continued, so have break-ins, burglaries, and robberies. Would it shock you to learn that about one out of every five homes will experience a break-in or home invasion?

In 2010, there were 2,923,430 home burglaries reported to the U.S. Department of Justice. (Many burglaries, by the way, go unreported, so the real number is larger.)

It's bad enough that gasoline and food prices are skyrocketing while wages are shrinking. Most Americans are making do with less, and many are having trouble just getting by. But to add insult to injury, they now face the threat of increased crimes against them. So not only do we have to work harder to acquire the basic necessities, but we also have to worry about keeping what we already have.

There are two reasons for this.

Reason #1: As layoffs mount and income dwindles, property theft goes up.

What do thieves take? They take cash and items that can be sold for cash: jewelry, flat screen TVs, computers, electronics, power tools, silver, guns, and more. They don't care if that diamond ring was your grandmother's and the only remaining memento you have of her; they're just seeing dollar signs.

And it's not just in the big city. Solutions From Science team member Lindsey lives in a small southern town ... so imagine her shock when burglars broke into her home one day in May in broad daylight and took everything that was worth anything.

Lindsey describes what she saw when she got home early from work that day: "Every mattress in our four-bedroom home had been flipped, every drawer in every bedroom had been dumped on the floor and emptied, and no closet was left untouched." Lindsey and her family lost $30,000 worth of belongings that day, many of them priceless family heirlooms. The thieves took televisions, computer equipment, guns, the kids' game system, jewelry, a coin collection, prescription medications, and even Lindsey's 10 year-old daughter's purse. Even though the burglars were eventually caught, the family's belongings were never recovered.

Here's what's particularly surprising: the burglars were in and out in less than 15 minutes. But that's actually quite typical. Thieves like to move fast ... and in a moment, I'll show you how you can use that fact to protect your home. But first, let’s look at the second reason why you have to worry about protecting what you have:

Reason #2: Budget cuts at state and local levels mean there are fewer law enforcement officers on the job.

2011 saw a wave of law enforcement cutbacks:

The city of Camden, New Jersey (which boasts the second highest number of active FBI crime investigations in the country) laid off 168 police officers--almost half the force--in January.

Boston gave the pink slip to 78 police officers.

In July, the town of Alto, Texas furloughed its entire police department for at least six months due to budget cuts. Now that emergency calls go to the county sheriff’s department instead, response time is up from a prompt 3 minutes to a lengthy quarter of an hour.

In order to save $9 million, the northern Las Vegas police department cut 83 police jobs.

The U.S. Department of Justice cut $52 million from a program that provided funds to small-town police departments for personnel. The cuts mean hundreds fewer law enforcement officer positions will be funded.

In Oakland, California, the city is so strapped for cash and the police department so shorthanded--the force was cut by 80 officers--that the police department will no longer be able to respond to crimes involving identity theft, burglary, vandalism, grand theft, and auto accidents.

Anatomy of A Burglary

Most home burglaries happen in broad daylight, between 10am and 3pm. Business break-ins occur after business hours, typically at night. Burglars want to get in, get stuff, and get out--FAST.

During a break-in, criminals are most likely to enter forcibly. (Picking locks takes longer than 60 seconds, so burglars don't usually take the time to pick them.) To get beyond a lock, thieves will kick in a door or use bolt cutters. They don't want to spend more than 60 seconds trying to get in, because every second that they linger increases their chances of getting caught.

Burglars spend an average of just 8 to 12 minutes in your home. Sheds, garages, and outbuildings are also 10-minute targets, because they often contain tools and equipment that can be sold easily for cash.

Let's back up just a minute. As I said a moment ago, burglars don't like to spend more than 60 seconds trying to gain entry. That's valuable information, because it means that ...

If They Can't Break In Within 60 Seconds,
Chances Are They Won't Break In At All

And here's how you give yourself that 60-second buffer: with a Heavy Metal Lock Kit. The Heavy Metal Lock Kit supplies you with the kinds of locks that simply can't be penetrated with typical forced-entry tools and techniques. Rest assured, it takes far longer than 60 seconds to break through one of these tough locks.

The Heavy Metal Lock Kit was designed and manufactured in the United States. Here's what you get in the Kit:

Four heavy-duty padlocks with keys:

You won't believe how heavy and solid these locks are! They work perfectly with the security hasps, lockable doorjamb, and slide bolts described below.

Two slide bolts (one medium and one extra large):

You'll have a hard time finding any bolts on the market that are as strong and as large as these!

One lockable doorjamb:

Perfect for sheds and outbuildings, the design of this jamb lock makes it impossible to reach the padlock with conventional bolt cutters.

Two security hasps, one 4" and one 6":

These hasps are virtually tamper-proof. A would-be thief can’t unscrew the hasp because the screws are covered by a faceplate with a unique deep-channel design. The depth of the channel means that a padlock set inside the channel can't be reached by bolt cutters.

By the way, residential burglaries account for about 65% of burglaries. That means the other 35% of them are business burglaries. And when you think about what thieves could walk away with if they got into your business, you'll realize just how important it is to protect it, just as you would your home. So when you get a Kit for your home, order one for your business as well.

How much is security worth to you? Sure, most people have insurance to cover thefts like these. But your insurance deductible is probably at least five times the cost of the Heavy Metal Lock Kit, which costs just $89.97 plus shipping and handling. And it goes beyond dollars and cents. When you're robbed, it's more than just a monetary loss. Just ask our team member, Lindsey. Her precious family mementos are gone forever, and no amount of money can ever replace them. Once you're robbed, peace of mind goes out the window. I'm sure you'll agree that $89.97 is a small price to pay to protect your belongings--and your peace of mind--from would-be criminals. Order your Heavy Metal Lock Kit today.

Sincerely,

Bill Heid, President
Solutions From Science

P.S. By the way, included free with your Heavy Metal Lock Kit is our specially commissioned 22-page e-book, Breaking and Entering: How The Collapsing Economy Is Creating A New Crime Wave And What You Can Do About It To Protect Your Family And Home.

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