In my neck of the woods, the Golden Retrievers sound rabid.  They're garbled growls so intimidating that even my neurotic Irish Setter “Finn” checks to see if the gate between us and the scary dog is closed.   And Finn’s not too sharp.  With thieves on the constant hunt for the perfect home opportunity and the expat rumor mill set on a constant high, it's no wonder my neighbors are armed to the hilt.   And the dogs are only the beginning.  A few statistics.... According to Justice Studies Center of the Americas, the number of "high impact crimes" or "delitos de mayor connotación social” (i.e. "violent robbery, robbery with intimidation and robbery involving surprise; breaking and entering; assault; rape; murder; and theft.") have been on the increase in Chile; an 11.7 % total increase from one year to the next which equates roughly to 971 robberies per 100,000 inhabitants.  According to the U.S. Embassy of Chile’s website, [compared to other major cities] "crime rates are low to moderate throughout Chile and are moderate in Santiago..." “There have been very few violent crimes committed against Americans."  It's true.  Violent crimes against Americans and other expatriates are nearly unheard of in Santiago.  In fact, I struggle to recall any such stories.  Expats are more often victims of non-violent home robberies, crimes of opportunity, crimes of stupidity rather than those that involve tied up maids and murder. What then, one might ask, separates the robbed from those who still have all their original house contents? The answer is simple: The right information.  Why We Get Robbed  Unfortunately it doesn't always take the sharpest tack in the box to catch onto the gaping hole in our home security system so plug ‘em up.  The top seven reasons we get our stuff stolen:  • Not answering the door bell.  Answer it, even when you don't speak the native language, and train your nana, spouse or whom ever lives in your house for any significant amount of time to do the same.  Answering it means someone’s home and most robbers don't like that.  It's easier to get your stuff when you're not there.  • Strangers in the house. Carpet cleaners, plumbers, movers, the handyman--these are all people who walk through your house, talk to your nana and have a view of your household from the inside out, many times are unsupervised.  • The Maid. A.K.A. "the nana".  Your maid, even if part time, probably has a good idea of how your home is run and what the schedule is.  A recipe for disaster if she's anything less than honest or unintentionally tells the wrong people.

RESOURCE LINKS FOR CHILE About Moving to Chile Resources for Expatriates. Including Articles for Relocating to Chile. Articles on Living & Investing in Chile An Index of Articles On Living, Working, Investing,Traveling Overseas & Real Estate in Chile. Art & Culture In Chile Artes y Cultura de la Republica de Chile. Government & Country Information Government, Country, Weather and much more information about Chile Economy & Business Including financial and investment resources, stock exchanges & real estate in Chile. Education in Chile Education & Schools in the Republic of Chile - Educación e Investigación. Embassies & Consulates of Chile Our sister site with a complete list of embassies for Chile and the entire world. Bookmark this page before leaving. Maps of Chile A large number of differing Chile maps, including city maps. Media of Chile Resources available, magazines, newspapers, others. Real Estate Links In Chile Current real estate listings of Chilean properties with color photos updated daily Vacation Rentals In Chile Vacation Rentals worldwide - including Chile Vacation & Travel In Chile EscapeArtist Travel - Our new section providing unique travel to unique locations Links, Links & More Links Search Engines & Links for Chile. Hospitals in Chile A List of Hospitals in Chile in our Hospitals section. Banks in Chile See Chile banks in our Bank Section. The spiritual journey of a lifetime This first-hand guide includes information that is not covered in regular guidebooks

• Nobody's Home.  Whether it's for the holidays or because a part time day maid is off, vacant homes are the easiest to rob, especially when they come free of any annoying obstacles like dogs and electric fences that are painful when approached the wrong way. 

• It's a holiday. Yes, I've had friends get robbed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.  They come home from a nice dinner at a fellow Americans house or a long anticipated home leave to find *child size footprints across their white bedding and the strangest things missing: under ware, clothes, belts and cologne.  Why? Because many robbers will do their best to avoid the rooms with security motion sensors.  If he's stuck in your closet, he'll take what's in your closet. (*according to expat hear-say, children cannot be tried for robbing a house)

• Thieves see something they like and walk right in.  Electric security gates and doors are not full proof, especially when someone doesn't close them completely on their way out. 

Learn from Thy Neighbors

Okay, so I've told you how to get robbed.  Now let me tell you how not to get robbed - my neighbors way. 

1. Lights, camera, fence!  A fence that spans the perimeter of your property is a good first step to safety.  Augmenting the fence with sensor lights attached to the corners of your home is even better, and then mount a camera facing the outside entrance to your home if don't already have one. 

2. An electric fence.  This is a great deterrent even when it's not functioning properly because let's face it, getting shocked hurts.  Keep shrubs clipped away from the lines (do your gardener a favor and turn the system off before asking him to clear the lines), and keep the fence turned on. *Sometimes electric fences and other such security devices can be negotiated into your rental contract so don’t be afraid to ask.

3. Razor Wire.  A less expensive alternative to the electric fence but still very painful. 

4. A dog.  Where I live, having an intimidating dog on guard is a quite normal and popular way of telling thieves to go away. But a big mistake people make (for the sake of my neighbors privacy, I won't name names) is to purchase a dog strictly for the purposes of guard services.  This is a big mistake for one HUGE reason: dogs are pack animals, not solitary creatures.  They need more than a watch dog job; they need a considerable amount of attention from their owners.  So if you really want a dog, adopt one of the many thousands of strays in Santiago and treat him well, as a well treated dog is a faithful dog and faithful dog will have his eye on your house and family no matter what.  Even my goofy Irish Setter has been know to scare people away. 

5. Get a security system and use it.  ADT and SAT are two popular services around here, offering different levels of security depending on what your needs are.  Both are exceptionally responsive and the security systems often come with lots of bells and whistles like remote control panic alarms or beefed up patrols.  And unlike the U.S., you don't get fined for multiple false alarms (which has saved me hundreds of dollars this year already). 

6. Hire a nana and teach her to be the "gatekeeper", even if she’s only part time.  Make a habit of by giving her a list of whom to expect during the week and when. Keep all pertinent phone numbers typed out clearly and exactly as dialed in central are of the house (we use the fridge) and ask her to call you if you should be out, to inquire about whether or not to allow in an unexpected visitor. Teach her that it's not okay to give out personal information (including your schedule) or to let anyone into your little kingdom for any reason. 

7. Start a neighborhood watch.  Neighborhood watches are popular in the U.S. for deterring crime and they can cover either a single street or an entire neighborhood. The monthly newsletters that go along with the Watch are a great way of understanding what is going on in your area, as they often report any robberies or suspicious behavior, and the semi annual meetings are a good opportunity to meet your neighbors. 

8. Get to know and like your neighbors (and have them like you back). They are another set of eyes when you're away and helping hands when help is needed.  It's best to stay on their good side. 

9. Look a little "off your rocker" when strange people pass by. It works. Really. 
10. Make your presence known.  While you can't always be the one to be outside looking crazy, it helps to have someone in the household doing something out-of-doors everyday.  Whether it be sweeping the porch or feeding the animals, letting those construction workers on break know that the house is occupied is often an underestimated deterrent. 

Lessons Learned - some the hard way 

• Know how to get a hold of the police and don't be afraid to call them.  Most communas have a mobile police unit that responds to a crisis quickly. To find your mobile unit phone number, either call or drop in to your local police station and ask for the the Corro Policial phone number.  Lo Barnechea's mobile police unit can be reached at 09.9.929.1914 and the emergency number for the Santiago police (Carabineros) is 133. File a police report if needed and always request a copy for future reference. 
• Know your security system.  Did you know that by dialing 2580, right down the center of your ADT number pad, you can call ADT for help--even if the power to your house has been cut? So will those handy dandy remote panic alarms, small enough to fit in your maids pocket but big enough to get ADT and the police to your house in a hurry.  Train anyone living in your home how to use the system and consider giving your nana her own code, especially if she's new to the family.  Giving her a separate code will help ADT to recognize who is entering and leaving, important information if it's ever used to break in.  Be sure to arm your motion sensors when away or your house is vacant. 

• Keep all emergency phone numbers visible and current.   Make several copies and give one to your maid for her living quarters.

• Keep all security systems in working order. This includes the fence, the gate, ADT and any outdoor lighting. You don't want anyone calling your bluff. 

• Make sure your house number is clearly visible.  Cut away anything covering up the numbers and shine a light on it for easy locating. 

• Keep your cell phone charged.  In the event that power is cut off, keep your cell phone fully charged and by your bedside at night. 

• Keep your outside utility box under lock and key to prevent cut wires.  Or better yet, use a pad lock that requires a code so there's no key to loose. 

• Keep shrubbery cut away from windows and doors.  Having plants covering the entrances to your home gives something for the robbers to hide behind while they break their way into your house, and more time to do it. 

• Keep all mysterious rubbish outside your home picked up.  Thieves have been known to *"mark" houses for future robberies by placing garbage (sometimes discreetly, sometimes not) in front of a targeted home under the premise that if it is not removed, no ones home.  * See 'Symbols Used to mark Houses for Robbery in Santiago' below. 

• Lock up all unused doors.  We've all heard the stories: man jumps fence--man walks right in.  Easy peesy.  Lock up the doors when you’re finished with them and keep the keys in one central, but close spot (in case of a fire). 

• Set your house alarm no later than dusk and always do so when no one is home.  Set that alarm before it gets dark and never forget to set it when no ones in the house.  Don't forget even once or coming home to house free of electronics and jewelry (or God forbid your underwear) could happen to you. 

• Keep anything of value out of plain sight.  This includes anything that can be seen through your windows, your doors, your front gate and your car. 

• Leave a few lights on at night and keep the blinds closed.  This makes the house look lived in and gives the impression that at least one of its 
inhabitants are awake.  Open curtains and blinds, on the other hand are a dead give-a-way that the above may not be true. 

.Picture a place where history and modernity transform a bountiful land into a paradise for those who are willing to simply come and experience a new life.  Now picture yourself traveling there, to live, to settle, to experience all that such a place has to offer.  What once seemed remote - a dream worthy of another dreamer - came true for us and it can be yours too.  With the Moving to Argentina E-Book you will have the answers you need to create your new life.  The Moving to Argentina E-Book contains our detailed experience of moving to this spectaular country.  For this E-book we've collected all of the valuable information we gained from our relocation that will help make your move as smooth as possible, and sprinkled the pages with the colorful details of our new life in Argentina. Moving to Argentina -  How to go about it by Delores Johnson.

• If you are a frequent traveler, consider taking a taxi or driver. Your car in the driveway means you're home, or at least that's what the common person would assume.  It's a tactic my husband I practice at home and so far so good.  Knock on wood. 

• Don't leave your house before that electric gate has closed-- completely.  You don't want someone sliding in through the gate as your driving down the road and neither does your poor maid who has to deal with the idiot after you've left. 

• Make sure all outside doors (the big gate to the house and its adjoining door) are securely closed at night. 

• Pick your house wisely.  Many people swear by their gated communities.  Gated communities traditionally add extra security for the entire neighborhood by placing security guards at the entrance to screen visitors and others to patrol the area throughout the night.  This often comes with an additional cost to home owners/renters using the service.  For those who find gated communities not so appealing, remember the rule of safety in numbers and pick a house with neighbors.  It never hurts (unless they drive you crazy). 
• The most common area for expats with families to live in Santiago (and often considered some of the safest places to live) are Lo Barnechea and La Dehesa; both close to the international school (Nido de Aguilas) and the British school (The International Preparatory School). 

You’ve been warned.

According to a police report published in November of 2006 and several news reports, documents were found in some idiots unlocked car, proving that thieves have dropped to a new level: marking houses.  The signals are colored on or near the house of interest (after some careful observation) and can be found in various locations: on the house, by the doorbell and on the adjacent sidewalks.  Once the symbols appear, the house will typically be robbed within the next twenty four hours, but it could happen at anytime.  Local police advice: Don't think it could never happen to you. 

The Meanings of the “Signals" 1. Owners will return soon 2. Open with a chain 3. Empty house 4. Caution: Police 5. House has already been robbed 6. You’ll get a nice welcome if you talk about   God 7. You can rob this house 8. Charitable house 9. No use in insisting 10. On vacation 11. Single woman 12. Nothing of interest 13. Very nice [house] 14.  Rob the disabled person 15. Nothing here 16. Dog watching [the house] 17. Use the handle 18. Already arranged to rob

If you do happen to find yourself a victim of a crime while in Chile, the local U.S. embassy suggests that "the loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance.  The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred.  Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed." 

. The Fitness Starts @ Home Training Guide - We can all use more motivation.  That's especially true if we are starting an exercise program, or if we want to take it to the next level.  At last, all the motivation you need is right here, because right now you can access the secrets the fitness professionals have kept hidden for years! After helping thousands of individuals to achieve their deeply personal objectives through seminars, personal training, coaching, one-on-one and group sessions, boot camps and fitness classes, Sean Trask now makes them available to you in this powerful eBook.  .