Do You Know About The 'Knock-Up'?

The "knock-up" is an all-too-common way for local homes, including those in Radnor, to be burglarized. But part of actually may make it easy to help stop future crimes.

Police know this: in many cases of burglary, the burglers knock on a victim's door to find out first if anyone is home. If someone does answer, the person (or people) at the door will give some reason, like asking for directions or trying to sell a service or product, explained Lt. Andrew Block of the Radnor Police Department.

Here is where future crimes could be prevented.

Such visits by strangers warrant a call to the police via 9-1-1, Block told Radnor Patch. Firstly, people selling items door to door need a vendors permit in Radnor, and these are given out sparingly. Secondly, if someone is lost or in need of a phone to use, the police are here to help them, Block said.

However, if these visitors are scoping out homes to rob, a visit from police could deter a would-be burglar from sticking around the area, and a burglary could be avoided.

One of the issues, from a resident's point of view, with the knock-up is that people, including children, often do not answer the door for strangers. This has led to break-ins while someone is in the home.

Block said you can answer a door without fully making yourself vulnerable to the person on the other side of it. For example, you can talk through a window or a door chain. If you find the person at all suspicious, Block said to call 9-1-1. 

Do you think you've ever been involved in a "knock-up" scheme? Did you call the police? Tell us in the comments below.