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The number of burglaries of
habitations has continued to rise over the past two years. Reports of these
offenses indicate that entry is gained into the residences most often through
open garage doors. When patrolling alleys, officers as well as Citizens On
Patrol, routinely find unattended garages that have been left unsecured. On a
recent patrol in several neighborhoods, officers also observed that many homes
have exterior lighting but few lights were actually turned on.
At another burglary of a home
in north Carrollton the offender made entry into the residence by first
entering an unlocked gate into the backyard and then kicked in the rear door of
the house. The victim did have an alarm system but did not have the system
activated.
Take
Preventive Measures!
- Keep garage door remotes
out of vehicle when not parked inside the garage.
- Utilize slide bolts on
garage doors to prevent the use of universal remotes when
possible.
- Always lock the door
that
leads from the garage into the home. A deadbolt lock will provide more
security.
- Always close the garage
door when unattended, even if you are home.
- Install and/or utilize
proper exterior lighting. Lights with motion sensors are also
effective.
- Install and/or activate
alarm systems. For alarm permit information call 972-466-3525.
- Utilize padlocks on yard
gates and storage buildings.
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Recently several officers
performed undercover surveillance at a local business where a large number of
vehicle burglaries have occurred. Two male subjects were observed going from
car to car in the parking lot looking for unlocked doors and valuable items
that had been left in the vehicle. After looking into several vehicles, one of
the subjects found an easy target. He used a flashlight to break a window and
reached into the vehicle and took a briefcase and laptop computer. Why was this
vehicle chosen? In part, because it was an easy target. Items of value had been
left in the unattended vehicle. In a number of other vehicle burglaries reports
have shown that entry was gained through an unlocked door.
Take
Preventive Measures!
- Park vehicle in lighted
area and in the garage when possible.
- Lock vehicle doors and
close all windows.
- Activate alarm
systems.
- Keep valuables out of
sight or remove them from an unattended vehicle.
Contacts and
Available Resources
- City of Carrollton Web
site:
www.cityofcarrollton.com
- Carrollton Police
Department Crime Prevention Unit for Home Surveys - contact Officer Hartzell at
972-466-3316.
Report suspicious activity
by calling the Carrollton Police Department at 972-466-3333 or
911 for
emergencies.
Be A Harder Target! |
