Just when you think you’ve heard it all, something comes along that truly surprises you. That was certainly the case for me earlier today. I stumbled across a news article talking about crime tourism and its impact on home burglaries. It turns out that crime tourism is the hottest thing in burglary right now.
I will be honest. I had not heard of crime tourism until I read the piece published on the cincinnati.com website. The article detailed how a Chilean crime ring managed to steal millions of dollars’ worth of jewelry, designer handbags, electronics and more during a multi-year spree throughout the Midwest.
The article went on to explain that this particular crime ring is neither unique nor singular. That is where crime tourism comes in. South American gangs are taking advantage of 90-day tourist visas to send groups of highly trained burglars into the U.S. to steal whatever they can get their hands on.
Highly Specialized Tactical Teams
The Chilean gang was made up of a number of highly trained individuals split up into multiple groups. Each group had a number of members, each one specializing in a certain aspect of the operation. For example, one gang member would be responsible for entry. Another would monitor radio frequencies in case the police were dispatched. Another would disable a home security system.
The gangs were described as highly specialized tactical teams who knew exactly what they were doing. Moreover, they chose their targets to maximize their profits while keeping risk to a minimum.
Nearly all of the homes they hit belonged to upper middle-class and wealthy families in the suburbs. The homes were protected from street views by being set back and surrounded by landscaping. Some of the houses abutted golf courses. By selecting their targets carefully and waiting until dusk to move in, the gangs minimized their own exposure.
They also made sure targeted homeowners were not home when they struck. In many cases, the victims were away for an extended amount of time. It wasn’t until weeks later that a housekeeper or returning homeowner actually discovered the burglary.
The Tourism Aspect
So what is the tourist angle here? With the right documentation, nearly anyone from 41 approved countries can get a 90-day tourist visa under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Tourists do not actually get a visa per se. Rather, they are given travel authorization without having to apply for a traditional visa.
In a nutshell, South American gangs are recruiting people willing to be trained and travel to the U.S. for three months. While there, they work with a gang to burglarize and steal as much as they can. Then they simply return home and enjoy the financial rewards of their work.
I’m no expert, but I am guessing the gangs have no trouble recruiting tourists. The opportunity to travel and make good money is hard to resist. The opportunity is even more attractive when a recruit understands just how lax Americans are about their own security.
All the Standards Apply
So what can American homeowners do to protect themselves against crime tourism and sophisticated burglary? All the standard suggestions apply, beginning with installing the home security system with around-the-clock monitoring.
Vivint is a nationwide home security provider offering state-of-the-art security packages and remote monitoring services. They and their competitors are the first line of defense against burglary. But homeowners should by no means rely exclusively on electronic security to protect their homes and valuables.
In addition, come owners should:
- Adjust Landscaping – Landscaping should be modified so that it doesn’t provide cover for criminals. Opening the view from the street is always a smart move.
- Security Upgrades – Security upgrades, like heavy-duty locks and security glass can slow burglars down. The more difficult homeowners make life for burglars, the better.
- Home Automation – Home automation strategies designed to make it look like a home is occupied can create enough doubt to cause burglars to pass on a house.
The Chilean gang I mentioned at the start of this post was clearly not stopped by standard security procedures and protocols. So homeowners should consider other strategies as well.
Additional Security Strategies
A common thread in the Midwest burglaries was that they occurred at dusk when nobody was in a targeted home. This suggests that if a homeowner is planning to be away for an extended amount of time, he should bring in a house sitter willing to live in the home for the duration.
Of course, mail should never be allowed to pile up. The house sitter can also put out the garbage and move a car around to give the appearance that the homeowner has gone nowhere. And whatever a homeowner does, they should never advertise their whereabouts on social media.
The Neighborhood Watch Idea
Homeowners willing to go the extra mile can get a lot of value from a neighborhood watch program. Organizing neighbors for the purposes of paying attention to one another’s properties is a great idea. The more eyes on a neighborhood, the less room burglars need to operate undetected.
I suspect that trained burglars in the U.S. on 90-day tourist visas really do not want to get caught. They may be more risk averse than their homegrown counterparts because of fears of spending time in an American jail. Any such fears are the homeowner’s biggest weapon against crime tourism.
If a homeowner can slow burglars down and make them fear getting caught, he can plant seeds of doubt in their minds. That’s how you beat a burglar. Get him to think twice about hitting your home and he probably won’t even try.
The truth is that crime tourism is a real thing. And now that we know South American gangs are sending crews of burglars into our communities to steal, it is up to us to fight back. The best way for us to do that is to make burglary as difficult as possible.
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