We’ve had several readers report that they’ve had packages either stolen or tampered with in the past few weeks. Sadly, the holiday season is not all cheer. It’s also a prime time for thieves.
Our West Precinct SPD Crime Prevention Coordinator, Terri Johnston, sent us the tips below on keeping your home safe from burglars and packages safe from theft. If you’re interested in setting up a Block Watch for your neighbors, see SPD’s Block Watch site, it explains what it entails and how to get one up and running:
Locks: Please use the locks/ latches you have. Many of the burglaries that occurred this past month were made through unlocked windows. Some had screens that the burglar simply removed to then gain entry. Even if you are going to be gone just a short time, lock up!
Exterior doors should be secured with a dead-bolt lock with at least a 1”throw. The doors should be strong enough to withstand excessive force. The door’s hardware such as strike plates and frames need to be anchored to the homes main construction. We recommend a wide-angle peephole on the main entrance door.
Windows: Sliding doors/windows can be fortified with a snug-fitting dowel placed in the lower track. Ensure windows are closed and locked prior to leaving home? If your valuables are visible from the sidewalk, consider closing the blinds when you are away.
Shrubbery: Burglars love secluded backyards. Keep your shrubs and trees trimmed to allow for greatest visibility. Consider motion-sensitive lighting for side and rear areas of your home.
Door Answering: Since many burglars knock on doors to ascertain whether anyone’s home, it is imperative you always answer the door. By this I MEAN, talk through the door, don’t open it!
Home alone? Bluff! Yell out, “Honey, I’ll get it!” or whatever words you can use that might indicate there are others in the house. Then, by talking through the door, you can say you’re on a conference call; you are contagious; or your pet snakes are out of their tanks, etc. Model this for your kids. They may be home alone and find themselves in this situation. It is not rude to talk through the door and it may save yourself a face-to-face encounter with a burglar.
Mail Theft: Already the reports of stolen packages from porches and multi-family dwellings are being made. I researched alternatives to home delivery of my packages and found there are many ways to minimize this popular crime. It is possible to track delivery of your pkg. which may allow being home then. Can you arrange for the package to be sent to another location, such as a FedEx office or perhaps your workplace? Could you tip off a trusted neighbor to sign for you, should a package come when you are away? Talk to your neighbors and see if they’d be willing to store the package inside their home until you get back or instruct them to place it unseen on the side or back.
9-1-1: Cannot stress enough the importance of reporting all suspicious activity to 9-1-1. It’s okay if what you are reporting turns out to be nothing. You don’t know what is prevented by getting the patrol car into the neighborhood. 9-1-1 is not just for emergencies, it is for all police reporting and that includes suspicious activity. This is how many of our burglars and car prowlers are caught.
Block Watch: Did you know that statistics show one is more likely to call 9-1-1 to help a neighbor out, if they know that neighbor’s name? Even though Block Watch was created to help reduce burglaries, knowing your neighbors and agreeing to watch out for them just makes sense. Natural emergencies, power outages, landslides, etc. are additional reasons we need to stay together as a neighborhood. We may have to wait for first responders to get to our ‘neck of the woods’ and our neighbors may be our salvation.
Inventory Lists: itemizing your valuables and noting serial numbers; model and/or photos of jewelry, art, bikes, etc. is helpful to follow-up detectives. Stolen property is often recovered without a chance of returning to the rightful owner.
Stay safe, call 911 if you see suspicious activity or to report a crime in progress, and report all crimes both big and small. For crimes such as car prowls and property theft under $500, you can report them via the SPD Online Reporting tool. Watch out for your neighbors and let us know if a crime occurs that the neighborhood needs to know about!