I recently had a reader write me to ask the following question:
“I live in a suburb of Austin, Cedar Park, in a standard housing subdivision. I’ve always wondered if it matters locking the gate (standard neighborhood picket fence) to my backyard or not for home security. It only stops the kids or the person randomly trying to enter my backyard. If someone really wanted in, they would just jump the fence or find another way. What are your thoughts?”
I live near my reader in a very similar neighborhood. Here was my answer:
I have a combination lock on my back yard fence gate. I think it’s a worthwhile addition.
It’s absolutely true that it won’t stop a dedicated criminal who wants to target you. But you are right that it will stop some random crimes.
In my police days, it was very common to see heroin addicts cruising around wealthy residential neighborhoods looking for places to burglarize in the daytime when most residents were at work.
Their most common MO was to find an attractive house and then knock on the door. If someone answers, they play it off by pretending that they are looking for someone.
“Is Bob here?”
“No? Oh, I thought Bob lived here. Sorry to bother you.”
If they didn’t get an answer, they would go around to the back of the house where fewer people could see them, They would then break in to the house via a back door or window.
I never saw one of those burglaries happen to a residence with a locked back fence.
That’s why I lock mine.
Lock your outside fence gate. It’s a low cost intervention that has minimal downsides, but may keep you from being targeted by a random cruising burglar.
My back yard fence gate