You can never be too safe.
One crime scene investigator can’t erase some of the horror she’s experienced on her job — so much so that she’s taken extra security precautions at her home to protect herself.
Amy Santoro is a real-life Olivia Benson — as she’s been working in forensics and on crime scenes for almost 20 years.
After working on over 1,000 cases, some would think the 39-year-old has become numb to what she witnesses on the job, but it seems that some situations remain in her memory bank.
As a result, she set up her home to resemble a “fortress” just to be extra safe.
“Throughout my career, I saw all the things that could go wrong,” she told NeedToKnow.
“My house is secured like a fortress and I tend to be hypervigilant. [Because] I saw how easily burglars could kick in a door and gain access to a house, so I have reinforced door jams and extra-long deadbolt locks.”
After seeing firsthand all the frightening ways someone could weasle their way into a home, Santoro has all her windows “locked and I have security window tracks that prevent them from being opened,” she told the outlet.
She also explained how the entry points to her house are alarmed and she “never leaves a ground-floor window open.”
“I saw lots of burglary cases and peeping Tom situations where people could see straight through the house at night because the curtains were never drawn, so I always make sure to close my blinds at night when the lights are on inside.”
Some would think the 39-year-old’s job has made her paranoid, but she says it’s just made her more “aware.”
And how does someone who works around such dark things day in, day out take her emotions out of it and still see the good in people?
“Every time I think I’ve seen the worst of humanity, something worse happens. Most of it is stuff people wouldn’t want to think about, but I’ve gotten used to it at this point.”
Yet despite all of that, Santoro remains hopeful that there are good people out there.
“But, more than that, I’ve seen how good people are. In every terrible situation, there are people who are willing to step up and help,” she said.
“I’ve really been able to see how communities come together and how families work to support each other. Overall, I think people are genuinely good.”
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