What NOT to do when a stranger knocks

One of my great clients and buddies, Stuart, emailed  me yesterday about a seedy looking guy who was knocking on his door, then tried to open it. Stuart was standing  just a few feet away in the kitchen, and his reaction when he heard him trying to open the door was just to go silent and freeze. He had his phone in his hand but couldn’t make himself dial and call for help.

Stuart has done all he can to make his home secure – he has a complete perimeter security system, motion sensors, and even security cameras all around the property. But at this moment, the system wasn’t armed.

So what should you NOT do if there’s someone at your door and you don’t want to open the door and talk to them? Don’t try to be quiet and hope they go away. Often burglars will knock on the door to case out your home and see if anyone is there.  If you go to the door, they’ll pretend to be offering a service such as lawn mowing or tree trimming. If no one comes to the door – they often break in and burglarize your house. This could turn bad quickly if in fact you are at home and there’s a confrontation.

What you SHOULD do: Do something to let them know you’re home! Yell out “Sorry we can’t come to the door right now.” Slam the door.  Turn the TV up loud. Walk to a room you can lock, with a phone if possible. Turn up the TV to a loud level.  If you own a firearm for personal\property protection, get close to that.

I took Stuart some new yard signs and decals, and he shared a story about how when the sheriff came out, he was impressed with the hi resolution cameras, and there was video captured of the man trying to open the door. He also showed me his AMAZING Mini Cooper GP which is another story…

Fortunately, this ended on a happy note. Just remember if anyone is at your door, let them know somehow that there is someone in the house.

Stuart lives in a nice neighborhood in North Houston. We have heard of similar incidents throughout the Houston area this year. Be safe!