Although I understand the concern about making sure would-be burglars know someone is home, I've read from time to time about cases where a criminal rings or knocks in order to determine whether there is a MAN at home -- and if a woman answers and doesn't indicate that her husband or boyfriend is there with her, the attacker knows he can probably break in and do his dirty work without fear of being overpowered.

Not exactly the M.O. of a burglar (who wants to break in and take stuff without interacting with anybody) -- and I haven't heard any reports of this kind of thing specifically happening here -- but be careful in any case.

It is essential that anyone not open a door these days unless they are certain of the identity of the person outside.

I've been thinking about taking a photo of anyone I don't know who knocks on my door. I'd imagine that if they had any ill intentions, they'd at least move on to another neighborhood. If a neighbor was burglarized that night, I'd have the photo.

To Rich: I've said the same thing, i.e., if the person ringing the doorbell hears a woman's voice asking, "Who's there?", to my mind that's a dead giveaway that a lone female lives there. When someone knocks at my door, I just peek out the peephole, and if someone's there that I don't know, I don't say anything, and I don't open my door. I live in a third-floor apartment, though, with only one entrance (the front door, and with all the windows facing a three-story drop to the ground, so I guess that's different from living in a home with many points of entry.

This seems like a good idea, but I would rather have a doorbell that makes the sound of a barking dog. Web Link

We had a burglary nearby that appears to have been perpetrated this way. Make sure that if you see solicitors or people going door to door in the neighborhood, call the police immediately with their location and direction of travel. Let them cruise by and check those people out. I'm sure most of them are harmless, but a few of them are definitely burglars. There are common reasons that people do go door to door like distributing leaflets, real estate agents "door knocking," petitions, etc. However, we know that hiding amongst them are people who are casing houses. The police are trained to respond and ask the right questions to those people, and are happy to do so.
The police depend on tips to know where to direct their resources, so don't be afraid to call it in - its no big deal for them to check it out.

It's time to start banning unsolicited flyers, doorhangers, newspapers, etc, that litter driveways and openly announce to the world whether the house occupants are home or not.

i agree with "traveller"....door to door knocking for any reason should be banned---it's ridiculous in this day & age (unfortunately) to allow it w/the # of criminals posing as solicitors and law enforcement seeming inability to curb burglaries. even the girl scouts recognize that door to door is passe, and started selling in other venues years ago.

A couple times in the last few years I had someone coming to the door saying they sell meat to a neighbor and had some left over. They sounded rather suspect, so I phoned the police. The dispatcher said that could have been legitimate and no one came out. (I understand that would be very low on the totem poll of calls they receive.) I no longer open the door to anyone and think one always, sadly, has to be on guard.

I've really enjoyed seeing suspicious types literally run off when my dogs bark at them at the door. I once called the po po on someone running off, because it was so weird. Lo & behold, he was a creep w/a rap sheet & a warrant, so he was arrested. Hah, take that bad guys - no guns, no violence, no big drama - just dogs barking. Now they do it at the weird churchies who show up. Once again, we're grateful they keep the unwanted away!

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