Convicted Chicago Burglars Give Advice On Keeping Your Home Safe

You probably lock your door when you're gone but these guys have some inside knowledge on keeping your home safe. 

WBEZ - Chicago aldermen on the Northwest Side said they have received a lot of complaints lately about burglaries in their neighborhoods, so they decided to bring in some experts: convicted burglars.

Some of these are common sense, others are things you most likely haven't thought about:

• Keep your cat away from windows while you're out of town. "Your cats seem to stand in the window, because who are they waiting on? You guys," said one former burglar. "So we know nobody's home, because your cat is desperately at the window."
• Think your little pup's bark is enough to keep burglars away? Think again: "If you have a chihuahua, Shih Tzu, pomeranian, whatever. Nine times out of 10, they're going in the pillow case."
• The bigger the dog, the better. "We would never go in the house if there was a pitbull in there, rottweiler or something."
• Make sure your door is the same material as your door frame. Mixing metal and wood makes it easier for burglars to kick the door in.
• Don't forget to close your windows, especially the bathroom window: "It's always open."
• Maybe stick around when the cable guy visits. "I have inside people (who work for home security companies) that would five me codes and a heads up."

The door material and big guard dog make sense but I would never have thought about the cat waiting in the window. I don't have a cat but I'm guessing it has to be nearly impossible to train your cat not to sit on the window sill when you're gone. And while it maybe a pain to open your bathroom window every time you go in there it's probably worth it to prevent a possible robbery.