We are reaching a period in the year where law enforcement agencies begin seeing a rise in various burglaries. I am sure you know, burglaries can occur anywhere – at your home, business, or your vehicle. A burglary occurs when a person unlawfully enters a building, residence or vehicle without proper authorization and commits a theft or felony offense while inside. Sadly, several of the burglaries that we respond to could have been prevented had the victims simply locked their doors or closed their windows. Please take a look at the following tips to help reduce your chances of being the victim of a burglary.
Safety Tips for Your Residence
• Make sure all exterior doors/windows are closed and locked when leaving.
• Use dead-bolt type locks on exterior doors.
• Install surveillance system. I would recommend purchasing a system that can be remotely monitored and records.
• Place a wooden pole or broom handle in sliding glass door tracks to keep the sliding door from opening.
• Leave a radio or television on if you are going to be gone for a few hours.
• Put some of your interior lights on a timer if you plan to return after dark.
• Make a list of your valuables (make, model, serial number and value), and take pictures of these items. Keep one copy of the list at home and store another copy in a safe location. It is also good to place this information, along the pictures of your valuables, on a computer flash drive or store online.
Safety Tips at Work
• Make sure all exterior doors and windows are closed when securing the building for the night.
• If you have a private office, lock your office door if you are going be away from your office and out of sight of the door.
• Be careful with your office keys. If you lose them, report it immediately to your supervisor.
• Do not leave valuable items at work if you can avoid it.
• If you have valuables in your office, do not leave them in plain view.
• Secure them in a locked cabinet, desk or closet.
• If you do not have a lockable cabinet, desk or closet, conceal the items out of sight as well as possible.
• Don’t tell others that you have valuables in your office or where they are concealed.
Safety Tips for Your Vehicle
• Park in well-lit and well-traveled areas.
• Completely close the vehicle’s windows and lock the doors. Most vehicle burglaries involve doors being left unlocked and/or vehicle windows being left open.
• Take items of value with you when you leave your vehicle.
• If you leave valuables in your vehicle, do not leave them in plain view:
* Secure them in the trunk or glove box.
* If you can’t secure them in the trunk or glove box, put them on the floorboard and cover
them with a blanket or towel.
• Don’t let others know that you have valuables in your vehicle.
Remember to be alert for people who are loitering or lingering around your residence, in restricted work areas or on parking lots. Many times, individuals will see suspicious people or activity, but don’t report it until after a crime has occurred. If you see something or someone acting suspicious, call 911.