Police Warn of Uptick in Burglaries

Police report an increase in burglaries recently from W. Cleveland Ave. to W. Rogers St. and from S. 5th St. to S. 20th St. They recommend locking and securing your overhead garage door or service door, even if you are just leaving your garage unattended for a few minutes. In addition, look into installing sturdy deadbolts on your service door. Please look into installing exterior lighting or motion detection lighting systems in your backyard/garage area to deter any possible burglars.

Also, it’s recommended to engrave identifying information (such as your driver’s license number) on any equipment in your garage, especially snow throwers and lawn mowers. Also, you might look into running cable locks through your snow throwers, lawn mowers or bicycles, and running the cable through an eyebolt in one of your garage building studs to make it more difficult for a burglar to remove your property.

Additionally, please make sure to lock your doors and windows when you leave your home. Sturdy deadbolts are a critical addition to all exterior doors. Do not place valuables where they will be visible from your doors or windows, and make sure you increase occupancy indicators (e.g., increase exterior and/or interior lights, leave your radio or TV on, etc.) to ward off potential thieves. In the wake of the holiday season, please make an effort to hide the empty boxes from your new gifts to avoid “advertising” your new possessions.

If you notice any suspicious activity in your neighborhood, police ask you to call the nonemergency number at 414-933-4444. For additional information about “target hardening” your residence or garage, you can contact District Two Community Liaison Officer Jesus Gloria at 414-935-7228.