HOUSTON – Authorities are warning homeowners to not assume their home is safe just because the sun is out.
That's because, police say, burglars are busier during the hours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. than they are in the evening and nighttime.
"When folks are gone, away from home, at work, that's when burglars work… in the daytime," said Harris County Constable Precinct 1 Chief J.C. Mosier.
According to Mosier, there's one thing that works better than any lock, alarm or gate: your smarts.
A string of recent incidents posted on Facebook and community network pages reveals several instances of men peering through the windows and knocking on doors in the Houston Heights area.
KPRC Local 2 asked some residents what they would do if a stranger knocked on their door in the middle of the day.
"I just don't answer the door," said Jennifer Duran. "I don't know them. I don't know what they're capable of or who they are.
"…I won't answer the door and pretend no one is home," said Migdalia Espinoza.
Even the youngest person KPRC spoke with suggested ignoring strangers. When asked what she would do, EJ Giles said she would hide. But according to Mosier, that's the wrong course of action.
" You do want to let them know you're in the house because if you don't, they're gonna go around and knock on the back door," he said. "And if their idea is to break in, they're wanting to know if anyone is home."
Mosier said you shouldn't open the door, but rather talk to them through the door and tell them to go away.
"But do not just sit in there quietly because they may come break in on you while you're in the home," Mosier said.
If you see something suspicious, call police, Mosier suggested. He said it doesn't matter if a crime actually occurred. If something happens that you think police should be aware of, call the nearest law enforcement agency's non-emergency number.