This tip may just save your life.
Lori Fullbright, who has been working as a crime reporter at News on 6 Tulsa for 27 years, took to TikTok to share her warning for what not to do if you hear a knock at your door.
The video, captioned “Why you shouldn’t get quiet and pretend you’re not home when someone knocks,” has already reached over 1.5 million views.
She began the two-minute clip by explaining that she’s interviewed hundreds of criminals and, in particular, burglars, over the years.
“The vast majority of them tell me that they want to hit a house that’s empty,” Fullbright revealed.
“They want to kick in your door when you’re gone, take all your stuff, and leave, and it’s terrible if you come home and all your stuff is gone.”
She explained that people say that it’s a property crime, when it’s really a personal crime – and that it’s “way worse” if the burglar finds you behind the door, hiding inside of your house and pretending that you’re not there.
“Now you’re face-to-face with a criminal,” she said.
Fullbright divulged that the “vast majority” of the burglars that she has talked to over the years like to hit Monday through Friday, around 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., because they think that no one will be home.
She claimed that the criminals will listen for sounds like voices, footsteps, and the TV playing to see if you’re home. If they think it’s empty, they’ll do what’s called a “knock and a kick” – literally knocking and then kicking the door in.
She alleged that these kind of break-ins are frequent in Tulsa – according to Neighborhood Scout, your chance of becoming a victim of a property crime in the area is 1 in 20.
“The next time somebody knocks, don’t get quiet,” Fullbright advised. “Make noise. Go talk through the door, ‘Can I help you,’ ‘I’m not interested,’ ‘Move along,’ they now know someone’s inside.”
The reporter also advised that you could even tell a lie for your safety if you wanted to.
“If you want, lie, for safety,” she explained. “Say, ‘Honey, get out of the shower, somebody’s at the door,’ ‘Honey, stop loading the shot gun and feed the Pitbulls,’ whatever you want to say to let them know someone’s in that house. Hopefully, it makes it sound like there’s more than one person.”
The broadcaster offered that you could even blast the TV or make loud noises to make it sound like someone is in the house.
“The burglars that I interview say that once they realize someone’s inside, the vast majority of them, again, will go find another house,” Fullbright said. “They’ll go look for an empty house.”
She admitted that she’s seen a lot of these burglary cases that “don’t turn out well,” especially when it comes to kids. She urged parents to relay to their children not to pretend to be quiet when someone knocks, but instead, to make a lot of noise.
The Post reached out to Fullbright for comment.
In the comments section of her TikTok video, many agreed with her safety tips.
“This is why my mom would leave on a radio when we’d leave the house,” one person shared.
Another agreed, typing, “We don’t get quiet, but we don’t answer unless we know who it is or what’s going on. Too many crazies in the world, not opening for anyone.”
“I call for my dad. Even if he’s not there,” someone else claimed.
However, others disagreed, maintaining that this tip won’t work in every situation.
“i think it depends if they wanna rob you or harm you so its a hit or miss,” a user commented.
Another seconded, “I would think burglars would know that people don’t answer but are still in there.”
In other safety news, last July, a study from Ohio State University found that neighborhoods who had more dog owners tended to experience fewer crimes.