How to Become a Crime Fighter

As the sun creeps away from the heart of the city and leaves it veiled in the cloak of night, a loan vigilante watches and waits. He waits to deliver justice to those who thrive in darkness and prey on the innocent… OK, that’s actually not the kind of crime fighter that I’m talking about, but you’re welcome to become that too if you want.

Educate yourself. Fighting crime doesn't require a cool costume and high tech weapons. Some of the most effective crime fighters use their heads instead and fight crime through education and intervention. They set an example to others and put forth the effort to make our world a better place.

Make a difference in someone's life. In order to prevent crime, it helps to go where crime begins and treat the source. What causes crime? Greed, poverty, social pressure, and corruption are some of the causes of crime. So how do you prevent these things? To some degree, you can't, but you can lessen the negative impact that these things have on our youth. People who care enough to intervene and teach young people how to live and how to support a family are the ones who make a difference.

Unite with your friends and neighbors. Neighborhoods that band together and march in unity send a message to drug dealers and gangs that they aren't welcome on their streets. Parents who spend time with their children and teach them values are crime fighters. The average Joe who cares enough about other people to return a wallet or purse to the rightful owner with everything intact is a crime fighter. Employees who risk their jobs by blowing the whistle on corrupt business practices are crime fighters. Police officers and elected government officials are crime fighters.

Set a good example for others. You don't have to wear a cape or a mask to be a crime fighting hero. You only have to live a good life yourself and help keep other people honest. If you want to wear a cape and mask while you do it... well, you'll probably end up explaining why to the police at some point.


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How to Protect Your Family from Home Invaders

The security of your family is very important. Not everyone can afford home security systems or guns. This article describes several easy and inexpensive ways to prepare a home to protect your family.

Always know that if someone wants to break into your home badly enough, they will find a way. That doesn't mean that you should make it easy for them to do so. It is surprising to me how many people have told me that they lock the doors to their home only while away. This is very dangerous! Purchase a deadbolt lock for any doors that are easily accessible to the public and keep these doors locked at all times. Start a habit of locking all doors at all times. If you leave to go to the store, lock the door behind you. When you get home... lock the door behind you. Teach children to lock doors behind them and to always see who is knocking at the door or ringing the doorbell before opening the door.

If the home is equipped with wooden window panes, use a power drill to drill a hole in one corner of each window where the upper and lower panes meet. Make the hole large enough to insert a heavy gauge nail. The nail should be easy to remove in case of emergency. It's not a bad idea to tie a piece of string to the head of the nail to make it easy to pull out. The point of the nail is to make the window difficult to open from the outside.

To secure a sliding glass door, cut a broom handle or stick to fit the space in the track behind the door where it slides when it is opened. It is very easy to bypass the latch on a sliding glass door, so be sure to leave the stick in position while the door is not in use. If you have a fenced-in yard, be sure to lock the gate when not-in-use. Also lock storage sheds with a lock large enough that it may be seen from outside the fence.

Leave a light on during the night, both inside the house and outside. This may just deter someone from breaking in if they think someone may be awake inside the house. Also, it's easier for crooks to operate in the dark. If you own a dog, give them full run of the house during the night. They have amazing hearing and will let you know if someone is snooping around outside.

Cover all windows with shades or blinds at night so that it is difficult to see into the home. If it is easy for someone to see from the outside that you own the latest game system, a huge expensive TV, or maybe some expensive artwork, then it may prove tempting for a would-be thief to put your home at the top of their list. Actually, if you can afford all of these high-dollar items, then a home security system is probably a wise investment too. The bottom line is that your family's safety comes before all material things. If you find yourself in the situation where someone has entered your home, let them take your money or some of your belongings if it means that they leave without harming anyone. Then call the police and file a report.


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