Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

4

Friday, July 16,1976 9

How can you avoid becoming

the victim of a home burglary

while on vacation?

'Stay home/

— Bill Ogle,penitentiary inmate

Don't leave clueshome is unattended

U-B photo by Ron Carlson

By DICK COCKLEOf the Union-Bulletin

For most Walla Wallans, July heraldsthe beginning of the summer vacationseason.

But an unwelcome companion toholiday trips for many travelers is theworry they will return to a homeransacked by burglars.

According to FBI studies, homes arethe targets of two-thirds of all break-ins. Burglars enter a U.S. home every15 seconds, and the take averages morethan $350, or a ?744-million total

Only five per cent is ever recovered.'The burglary rate in Walla Walla

County has climbed 110 per cent in thepast eight years, from 257 break-ins in1968 to 538 last year, according to thearea law and justice planning office.

How can you avoid becoming thevictim of a home burglary while onvacation?

"Stay home," advises WashingtonState Penitentiary inmate BUI Ogle.

"If a burglar wants in, there's no wayyou're going to keep him out. They canalways find access — windows anddoors."

Ogle, 57, is a convicted "habitualcriminal'" serving a life sentence. He'snot an ex-burglar but has known many.

He says a few simple precautionsshould discourage most break-in artists.

"Stop your newspapers so they don'tpile up on the porch. Also the milkman. You could leave a light on in thebedroom."

The trick is to give your vacatedhouse, "that look that somebody's stillliving in it." agrees Dan Aycock of theWalla Walla Police Department.

He recommends having someonecome by once a week to mow the lawnand pick up the mail.

'If a burglar wants in, there's no way you're

going to keep him out. He can always

find access -- windows, doors/

— Inmate Bill Ogle

"It pays to invest in one of those $5timers to turn your lights on and off,"says another penitentiary inmate whohas spent 10 years in the prison, five ofit on Death Row.

The timer also can be attached to aclock radio to turn it off and onperiodically, he says.

"And have it turned on a little louderthan you'd normally listen to. I'm not aburglar. I've learned a lot in my yearsinhere," he says.

He uses a timer like the one hedescribes to make coffee in an electricpercolator at his minimum-security jobin the prison administration building.

Many burglars watch the social pagesof newspapers for the comings andgoings of the upper-middle-class andwealthy.

'"The Wallingfords are going to beout of town for a month.' I don't knowhow much that comes up in WallaWalla. In Seattle they have whole pages. .v. It's a pretty easy task to look forwhere the Wallingfords live." he says.

"They should be aware there issomebody reading that, too, that hasother designs than wishing them goodluck."

He recommends getting a homeburglar alarm.

Alarms are effective, providing theyaren't activated regularly by accident,according to Aycock.

He says that during one period a fewyears ago, Walla Walla police receivedso many false alarms patrolmenconsidered asking the city council topenalize homeowners.

"Answering false alarms, besidestaking up time, actually is dangerous,"Aycock says. "Until we know it's a falsealarm we have to answer it as if it's forreal. That means getting there in ahurry."

"Right now, we don't have a wholelot of alarms. There are very fewresidential alarms that are hooked up."

Alarm systems vary widely in price,according to Aycock. He once built onefor $45.

"You can get them fairly cheap, inthe neighborhood of $50 if you make ityourself. Or you can get one for about$1,000," he says.

Aycock recommends installing sturdylocks on all doors and windows,although he says he believes they onlyprovide a temporary problem to a

, determined break-in artist"Out of 100 people in a given area

gone on vacation, probably over halfare going to take precautions," says theformer Death Row prisoner. "Theother percentage that doesn't is goingto get burglarized."

Burglars are interested in homes thatpresent the least risk, he says.

Ogle says he believes the bestantiburglary device is "to tell yourneighbors on both sides and across thestreet that you're going away, and theycan keep an eye on your house."

G.O. "Scotty" Ray, chief criminalinvestigator for the sheriff's office,agrees.

"Maintain good relations with yourneighbors. They're the best insurancepolicy that you can have."

Ray puts little faith in heavy-dutylocks.

"They are always going to have alimited effect against a professionalburglar," he says.

But he recommends that ruralhomeowners , especially, use "the typeof window and door-locking devicesthat they just can't get through quick."

That may give some passing neighbora chance to notice a break-in in

progress, he says.Tricks to make a home look occupied

when it's not are useless against agrowing new phenomenon that he callsthe "neighborhood burglar," Ray says.

Neighborhood burglars are "usuallyjuvenile, and usually familiar enoughwith the neighborhood that all thoselittle tricks aren't going to deceivehim," he says.

"Generally, they're after thosereadily marketable items that are easyto carry and would be attractive to asupply-and-demand market, such asTVs, guns, clock radios, calculators,small and unusual collectors' items."

The only real defense against suchthieves is alertness, Ray claims.Neighbors must keep an eye on oneanothers' homes and report suspiciousactivities.

"As far as the rural community goes,neighbors aren't always close enough tomaintain that type of vigilance," hesays.

Ray says rural burglaries occur lessfrequently than residential break-ins.

"But generally, the rural-locationburglaries are going to result ingreater losses than in the city. They canbe for a combination of gas and carparts, tools, equipment, as well ashousehold items. Sometimes, as far as arural location goes, your bestprotection is just hiding these objectsfrom view; keeping them within agarage or shed."

Urban burglars are often restrictedby what a thief can hand-carry to hiscar. In more isolated areas, the onlyrestriction on what is taken issometimes what the car will hold, hesays.

He recommends putting identifying

markings on valuables and keeping alist of their serial numbers in a safeplace so they can be identified if stolen.

Although many penitentiary inmatesare serving time for burglary, Ogle saysthere are no more professional burglarsthere.

"There's darn few professionalthieves coming to jail any more. Mostof the people that come to jail now aredope fiends or have dope-relatedcrimes."

Members of the latter groupcommitted amateurish burglaries toobtain money for narcotics, he says.

"I've known a couple of professionalburglars in my time— four or five ofthem. They're all gone, dead."

The other inmate agrees."If somebody comes in and really

ransacks your house, he's just lookingfor what he can get. A professional, hewill come in and go right to the buffetand take your silver. If you've got anexpensive stereo or an expensive TV, hemight take that."

"If money is found in a burglary, it'sjust a bonus unless they have a specialhome picked out and know there'smoney in it. They're out for valuablesthat are easily fenced: TVs, stereos,large appl iances, expensiveappliances," he says.

Stealing that type of item, also makesOgle consider most burglarsunprofessional.

"Any time they steal, they got toresell it. And every tune you sell, you'retaking a chance again. Most of yourfences all got a connection with thepolice now. They'll buy hot stuff, butwhen they get caught, they'll give youup."

your health

Wife cries 'whoa'with active husbandBy DR. GEORGE C. THOSTESON

QUESTION: Dear Dr. Thosteson: Do you think this is normal?My husband is 57.1 am 55. He wants sex four or five times a week.I have no feeling. My vagina is dry most of the time and I get noarousal whatsoever.

Hormone shots do no good. Do you think a man of 57 shouldexpect sex that often? We have lots of arguments about it. — Y.T.

ANSWER: Sexual activity in men (and women) varies so widelywithin age groups that you can't hang out labels that say "normal"or "abnormal." At 57. the frequency you mention may be aboveaverage. One study I am acquainted with finds once a week as thenorm for that age bracket so you might call your husband a bit"enthusiastic" at this point in his life.

The reason for your dryness is another matter. It is notuncommon at your age. Lowered estrogen after menopause can dothis. Have you tried any of the estrogen creams in the vagina inconjunction with the shots? They can help.

QUESTION: Dear Dr. Thosteson: A recent completeexamination indicated that I am in pretty good shape for a 75-year-old man. except for a sluggish gall bladder. What does sluggishmean in this context? Is there a diet that could liven up the gallbiadder? —G.L.

ANSWER: The gall bladder is a small sac-Ike organ locatedunder the liver. It stores bile, which is essential in digestion. Forwhatever reason, a "sluggish" gall bladder is one that is notserving this purpose at peak efficiency.

Yon might encounter some digestive distress, for example, aftereating certain foods, especially fats, which require more of thisbite for digestion. There can be many reasons for your "sluggishgallbladder."

Woman asks: Is mastectomy his business?deurobbv_ By ABIGAIL VAN BUREN

DEAR ABBY: I am 28, unmarried-and have just had one breast removed(cancer).

When I meet a man who is notaware of the surgery I've had. do youthink I should tell him about it or not?I've discussed it with several people.My mother says, "Don't tell him untilyou are engaged to marry him."

My physician says. "Tell him assoon as you think he could becomeseriously interested in you."

I would like your opinion and theopinions of men who may have hadsome experience with this problem.

Thank vou. — HAVING DOUBTSDEAR HAVING: I vote with your

physician. Readers?DEAR ABBY: I wear a wig

sometimes, but not all the time. Ihave this friend who. no matter whois present — men, women, orstrangers—will walk up to me. lift upmy hair (or wig) and even tug on itand ask. "Is that a wig you're wearingor is that your own hair?"

Abby. when she does that. I getterribly embarrassed. How can I tell

her in a nice way, so I don't offendher, that whether I'm wearing a wigor not is nobody's business but my

r>' -WIG WEARERown?DEAR WIG-WEARER: Tell her in

plain language. And if sheembarrasses you in this manner

"again, give tne same consideration toHER as she gives to YOU. (Like

practically none.)DEAR ABBY: I am very much in

love with a wonderful man and we areplanning to be married just as soon asmy divorce comes through, whichshould be within the next few months.

My fiance wants to give me adiamond engagement ring right now.Would it be proper for me to wear an

engagement ring while I'm stilllegally married? I don't really feelmarried. I've been separated from myhusband for over a year. —INLOVE AND CONFUSED

DEAR IN: Until you're divorced.You're married. Cool it until yourdivorce is final.

Snoopy and thePeanuts Gang join

you every day.

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