Keeping Safe from Burglaries

From the December Central Police District Newsletter (not yet posted on the website)

Burglaries: Take Charge of Keeping Your Home Safe

Rarely a day goes by when a burglary report does not cross the desk of the Lieutenant of Detectives for the Central District. Sadly, the circumstances are similar in most cases.

Burglary is defined as whoever intentionally enters the dwelling of another, without the consent of the person in lawful possession, and with the intent to steal or commit a crime. That’s the legal version, but for the victims of a residential burglary, it is the awful realization that your private space and belongings have been tampered with or taken. Beyond the inconvenience, cost, and frustration of replacing or assessing the loss is a powerful emotional burden brought on by the loss of personal privacy and safety.

An overwhelming number of burglaries could be prevented by some of the simplest and cost-efficient crime prevention techniques known to humans. First and foremost is using locks: locking windows, doors, entryways, exits, outer doors, basement crawlspaces, anything or anyplace that allows someone to access your private space. Locking a door isn’t something you do just when you go away for the weekend; you should have the door locked to your home or apartment anytime you are away and all the time you are inside. Here are some real examples of incidents of burglaries that have occurred: a person leaves their apartment unlocked while they go to the basement to do laundry. A person locks their bedroom door but leaves windows unsecured and returns from shopping to find the windows open and laptop computer gone. A large picture window reveals a purse sitting on the couch of a home, and the resident awakes from a nap upstairs to find the unlocked front door ajar and the purse gone. In every one of these cases, a lock would have been a deterrent.

Thanks to camera systems in many multi-family housing units, we can see the burglar enter and exit the place. While useful from an investigative standpoint, it speaks volumes to the number of places where people simply don’t lock their doors and how fast a person can enter and exit with items of value.

In the Central District, we are coming to winter break. Many people who leave for the holidays come back to find their homes broken into and in disarray. You can do something about this by taking proactive steps to keep your home safe. Be certain you lock all windows and doors before
you leave, and let your landlord know where they can contact you if you are gone for an extended time. Consider asking a trusted friend to stop in on your place to check the status and bring in mail or magazines. If you have any concerns about the efficiency or reliability of the lock to your home, take care of it now and not the day before you leave for a vacation. Take control of the safety of your home and use locks to keep it secure.