Dear editor,

This is in response to a Nov. 17 editorial, “Rising cases of theft.”

The editorial says that poverty has driven more and more people to theft and opined that police crackdowns alone cannot solve the issue, and the nation cannot reduce theft cases without making progress in fighting social polarization.

I agree but I think it would take some time to ease the polarization and promote social cohesion. Until then, here are some suggestions to prevent possible nighttime burglars, daytime housebreakers or 24-hour robbers.

First reinforce your locking devises but they should be easily unlocked from inside in case of fire. One should avoid electronic anti-burglar systems, which are vulnerable to malfunctions and the elderly find impossible to operate. Second, know which day or night is the most frequented by thieves. It’s on Tuesday.

The thieves know people stay home mostly on Saturdays and Sundays, so they categorize those days risky. Mondays sound good but they also know that people in the neighbors are quite nervous on the first day for work and their eyes are sharp. No reason to be caught, but the pockets are getting empty since they haven’t earned any since Saturday. So the hungry stomach induces them to work on Tuesdays.

The next best chance, according to the thief’s theory, is on Friday. The hazardous Saturday, Sunday, and Monday follow, on which days they should stay put. Poor thieves cannot wait until the next fishing day, Tuesday. So they have to move on Friday too, in a pinch.

Oh, I’m not a member of the club. I live in an independent house that requires a lot of locking and crime prevention devices including a whistle and a bangmangi (Korean laundry stick). I’ve been harassed too long a time.