15 Things a Retired NYPD Detective Teaches Women Living Alone to Keep Burglars Away at Night

15 Things a Retired NYPD Detective Teaches Women Living Alone to Keep Burglars Away at Night In 2017, a retired school secretary I'll call Dot spent $4,200 on cameras, a keypad and a monthly monitoring bill. She got robbed anyway. The alarm went off right on time, and the police found her back door wide open with the deadbolt still locked. That same week, the same man kicked the back door of Rose, the widow across the street. Twice. Rose had spent about $30. He left a boot print and went home with nothing. I'm Jackie Shaw. I spent 33 years on the job, 14 of them working burglaries in Queens, and I sat at a lot of kitchen tables the morning after. Every habit on this list comes down to the two things a burglar is afraid of: being seen, and taking too long. Eyes and time. In this video, I count down all 15, including: 🔑 Why the porch light you leave on all night is working for him 🔑 The knock: what almost every burglar does on your front step first, and the exact words to say through the door 🔑 What your mailbox, your voicemail and one pair of boots tell a stranger about who lives inside 🔑 The red cord in your garage a man can open with a coat hanger, and the 10-cent fix 🔑 The $12 strike-plate fix that would have kept Dot's door shut 🔑 Number one: the plan Rose kept on an index card in her nightstand drawer No contract. No monthly bill. No salesman at your kitchen table. Just habits. 📚 Jackie's large-print safety books for women on their own: https://jackieshawsafety.com Chapters 0:00 The $4,200 alarm that didn't matter 2:02 15. The nightly walk 3:03 14. The deadbolt 3:55 13. Close the shades 4:46 12. The tells 5:48 11. The porch light 6:41 10. The dark sides 7:29 Why burglars pick a house 8:17 9. The knock at the door 10:34 8. The alarm 11:20 7. Timers 12:02 6. Bring it all in 12:41 From the heart 13:58 5. The bushes 15:01 4. The garage 16:01 3. The nightstand 16:49 2. The strike plate 18:34 1. The plan 20:53 The whole list in one breath ⚠️ This video is general safety information, not legal or professional security advice. If you're ever in danger, or someone won't leave your door, call 911. 🔔 Subscribe if you're the one who locks up alone at night. 💬 Tell me in the comments: which of these 15 were you already doing without calling it security, and which one made you get up and check your back door? 👉 Know a woman who lives alone? Send her this video. #HomeSecurity #LivingAlone #SafetyTips #WomenSafety #SeniorSafety #HomeDefense