Robert James Neese, a man police believe is responsible for as many as 60 burglaries in Fountain Hills the past four years, is sitting behind bars awaiting his fate.

Neese is also suspected of more than 300 burglaries dating back nearly two decades as the notorious rock burglar, but even with Neese in jail no one believes the threat of burglaries in Fountain Hills will simply disappear.

Law enforcement officials have long believed that individual homeowners can have a greater impact on burglary prevention than a police officer on every corner.

It is the steps people take themselves that discourage burglars more than police presence.

According to a website, crimeprevention.org, people who do nothing can in fact make themselves more vulnerable.

The person who thinks it can only happen to someone else and does nothing to prepare or take precautions is the perfect victim criminals are seeking.

There are dozens of websites on the Internet that offer people simple tips on making themselves less of a target for burglars.

One very basic approach is citizens becoming the eyes and ears for the police in their own neighborhood. It was an observant neighbor who called police that led to the initial arrest of Neese here in Fountain Hills.

Becoming a “secure neighborhood” makes it more difficult for burglars to single out homes as a target.

Working with police on a Blockwatch program is one of the basic ways of becoming a more secure community.

Residents watch out for one another and look for suspicious activity and people in the neighborhood.

A stranger walking down the street may not be a threat, but if he keeps walking back and forth or stops to focus on a particular property, neighbors can call the police and have them check out the stranger.

A strange vehicle or truck parked in a driveway is suspicious enough to call the police.

If a burglar does get the chance to look around the neighborhood for a target, he may see a number of things that prompt him to either select or reject a home to burglarize.

Deterrents

According to Maricopa County Sheriff’s Capt. Joe Rodriquez, commander for the Fountain Hills District 7 substation, there are many common sense steps people can take to prompt a burglar to move on to another target.

Virtually all of the incidents that Robert Neese is accused of occurred when the homeowner was away from home, and it was surprisingly apparent that no one was home.

People should stop the delivery of their newspaper and hold their mail when leaving town.

Leave a few lights on or have them on a timer while away. Ask a neighbor to park a vehicle in the driveway.

Leaving a radio on could leave the impression someone is home. Make it talk radio and it will appear as though a conversation is ongoing.

Burglars like to work quickly getting inside before there is a chance of detection. The more obstacles there are to them getting inside undetected will likely cause them to move on.

Leave on an outside light, they don’t want to be seen.

Don’t use a pet door, or keep it closed and secure when no one is home.

Repair any damaged or broken windows and use locks that secure sliding panels.

People with a burglar alarm system should be sure it is in good working order and use it when they are away.

There were reports that many of the homes targeted in the crimes Neese is accused of had alarm systems, but they were not activated. If the alarm did not go off as entry was attempted with a rock or pry bar the burglar continued into the home.

In some cases homeowners will find that simply having a yard sign or window sticker indicating an alarm is present will deter a burglar.

The alarm system should be working properly, frequent false alarms are a nuisance to law enforcement, which ultimately can make the alarm ineffective.

Secure doors

The average latch on a door knob will not stand up to a pry bar. That is why deadbolt locks are nearly standard equipment on exterior entry doors.

The deadbolt extends an inch or more into the door jamb making it at least more difficult to pry the door open.

It is recommended that any door with a window or a window nearby should use what is called a “double cylinder” deadbolt. This type of lock requires a key to open both the inside and the outside so a burglar cannot just break the window and reach in and turn the lock open.

A note of caution, this type of lock presents the potential of someone being locked inside in the event of an emergency. Everyone in the home should know where to find a key quickly that will unlock the door if they need to exit quickly.

In recent years police have noticed a trend in what has become known as lock “bumping” for burglars to enter a home.

The “bumping” process does not require the tools needed to pick a lock and it will leave no sign of a break-in, prompting some insurance companies to deny coverage because the door was left open.

Not all locks can be bumped and homeowners can discuss the quality of the lock they are looking at with their hardware dealer or builder.

The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) recommends consulting a professional locksmith or security provider for advice regarding what locks offer the best protection.

Design concepts

The relatively new concept of designing structures to be uninviting, or defensible, against intruders has created a new idea of crime prevention through environmental design.

For the average homeowner this primarily means some of the things already discussed with regard to windows and doors, but also exterior lighting and landscaping.

Entry doors, for instance, should be clearly visible from a distance with no trees or bushes providing cover for a potential burglar.

Good lighting with few shadows will deter a burglar. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the neighborhood needs to be lit like a stadium, just enough so someone can be seen.

Bushes in front of windows should be low so there is no hiding place for a burglar while they attempt to pry a window open.

Better, plant bushes that are uninviting for intruders. No one would try to open a window while standing on a cactus or other thorny vegetation.

Maintain a visual “corridor” between a maximum of three feet for bushes and minimum six feet height for tree branches off the ground.

While people need to rely on police for important help and support, crime prevention remains essentially a personal and neighborhood endeavor.