Of the nearly seven million annual visitors to Newport Beach, most come for the famous beaches, the world class shopping and dining, the elegant hotel stays and the proximity to Disneyland.
While many jet in exclusively for business, a relatively small number of wealth seekers arrive for the exclusive purpose of…burglarizing your home.
The pickings are rich and the risks apparently worth the commutes from wherever: L.A., San Diego, or even South America.
Like other affluent areas, Newport Beach has recently been targeted by professional burglary crews, said Newport Beach Police Department Crime Prevention Specialist Sara Verschueren. She conducts and coordinates programs and services throughout the community, including Neighborhood Watch, educational gatherings for crime prevention strategies, and the National Night Out Safety Fair slated for Tuesday, Aug. 1, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Bonita Canyon Sports Park.
As George Washington is oft-quoted, “The best defense is a good offense.”
In the realm of home security, homeowners can get on the “offense” by hardening their homes against the possibility of burglary by blending common sense with commercially available electronic and mechanical layered defenses. One such device is a motion-activated electronic “barking dog” that sounds more threatening than a baritone chihuahua on steroids.
Not that long ago, home defense began by simply locking one’s doors, securing windows, turning on a light and letting Fido roam the house (still, by the way, a great start).
But today’s burglars are both forceful and resourceful. They bypass door locks and sliding door rods simply by busting out large windows with the largest rock in the garden, or a crowbar, or heavy-booted foot. In most cases, they’ve cased a home to determine if anyone is in. In some scary instances, they are.
According to Verschueren, the most common hours for break-ins are from the onset of darkness to about 10 p.m. — the times when most people leave for an evening out, then return home tired, content and somewhat inattentive until they realize their home had been broken into.
Residences that back up to expansive trail systems, hillsides and or golf courses are common targets because they offer easy access to their backyards, along with a reduced degree of detection.
Though not without risk, entry then becomes fairly easy, the search for the master bedroom (a burglar’s preferred destination) usually quick, the discovery and snatching of jewelry, cash and other valuables rapid. Then the crooks are out into the darkness for an efficient escape. In some cases, intruders determine they have sufficient time to carry a safe out safely. No, they do not need the combination.
Crime Prevention Specialist Verschueren is Newport’s go-to expert when it comes to informing residents how to prep their homes. A good start for information can be had online at www.nbpd.org/what-we-do/information/crime-prevention-and-safety, or by calling (949) 644-3699 for an appointment for a free in-home safety inspection.
A thorough in-home inspection can take up to one and one-half hours. As Verschueren explains, “I always bring one or two volunteer members of the police department with me. Having an extra set of eyes on my team is always helpful. Normally, we start at the front of the house, checking the view from the street, the front door and other entry points. We consider lighting, visibility, entry points such glass doors and windows, and other possible vulnerabilities. We do the same around the perimeter, also looking for areas of concealment. Then we go inside to make recommendations on anything the residents have questions about.
“I think second story security is often overlooked,” Verschueren added. “Most people don’t realize how common it is for a burglar to use a second story balcony in the backyard to gain entry into the home when residents are gone.”
Stacked furniture often supplants a ladder, while some burglars’ wall-and-porch-scaling abilities are better than Tarzan’s.
At a security minimum, Verschueren recommends “interior lights on timers; exterior motion lights and cameras on the sides of the house and in the backyard; interior motion sensor lights in the master suite, and the storage of valuables in an area other than the master bedroom or closet.”
During the COVID years, area burglaries were down, in large part due to most residents remaining home. Recently, there has been an uptick, Verschueren apprised. She shared some recent police reports.
- In the Eastbluff Community on July 1, at 7:45 p.m.: “A suspect accessed a walled-in front patio, shattered a door, then rummaged through the master closet. The suspect located a safe inside the home, and removed it while fleeing the scene.”
- In the Cameo Highlands Community on July 6, 9:30 p.m.: “While the homeowners were away and a house sitter was in a guest bedroom, an unknown suspect accessed the backyard of the property and shattered a rear glass door to get inside the house. The suspect ransacked the master bedroom. The house sitter heard the noise and went into the hallway to investigate. The suspect saw the house sitter in the hallway and fled immediately.”
- In the Crystal Cove Community on June 27, 8:45 p.m.: While the victims were away, three unknown suspects accessed the backyard of the property by climbing over the glass back wall. The suspects used a patio chair to access the balcony, where they shattered a glass door to get into the house. They ransacked the master bedroom, master closet and master bedroom. They located a safe, pried it open before fleeing the scene. The suspects wore long pants, hooded sweatshirts, masks and gloves.”
Usually consisting of a crew of three or four, burglars typically are in a home between five and 20 minutes, mostly targeting the master bedroom, Verschueren said.
A one-minute phone call to the PD’s Home Security Office takes just a fraction of that time and can save both window breaks and heart breaks.
