Crime Prevention:

How to prevent yourself from being the victim of a burglary

Lately, there has been a rise in burglaries across the country. Here are a few ways you can help prevent a burglar from targeting your house and property. 

How to keep your residence and property safe and secure:

  1. Keep your yard clean and free of clutter. A burglar can get a good sense of what you have in your home by what you leave in your yard. Don't leave expensive toys or tools out for everyone to see. Clean up when you're finished.
  2. Keep the bushes in your yard trimmed and the area around the house well lit. Don't give a burglar a dark place to hide.
  3. Don't leave your doors or windows open or unlocked when you're not home. It only takes a minute for a burglar to enter your house and steel your belongings.
  4. Never open the door for someone you don't know. Also, never let anyone into your home and allow them to distract you, allowing another person to enter the house and steel your belongings. This is a common tactic. One person will knock on the door and identify themselves as a utility worker and ask that you accompany them to the basement so they can "check on a problem". With you distracted, another person will enter the house and steel your belongings.
  5. Do not anounce to the world that you are not home. Do not post that you will be on vacation to social networking sites and do not leave notes to delivery persons stating you are not home. .
  6. Do not hide a key to your house outside. Leave a key with a tructed neighbor, friend or family member.
  7. Do not allow delivery persons or contractors into your house when no one is home unless you know and trust them. If you are not able to be home and the work has to get done, have a trusted family member or friend come to the house and stay while the workers are in the house.
  8. Do not allow workers to roam the house unaccompanied.
  9. When you do go away on vacation, make sure a trusted neighbor knows and can watch the house for you. You can also contact the Police Department and ask that a "Patrol Check" be done on your house while you are away.
  10. Place an extra lock or a locking bar on slidding glass door. Standard locks can seaily be defeated.
  11. If you are going to be away for an extended period of time, stop your mail and newspaper deliveries. A pile of mail in the mailbox and a pile of newspapers in the driveway are a sure sign that the homeowners are away.
  12. If you see a burglary being committed or come home to find someone in your house, don't try and stop the crime on your own. CALL THE POLICE! try and be the best witness possible and get suspect and vehicle descriptions and license plate numbers if possible.
By following these simple tips, we can all help to prevent home burglaries and keep everyone safe.