Guest Column: Crime prevention starts at home

Guest Column: Crime prevention starts at home

Loran Lueders
Chief of Police
St Augustine, FL

Thanksgiving is here and Christmas is just around the corner. Let me share a few tips with you that can help your family enjoy the Holidays and keep you safe from becoming the victim of a crime.

Taking the time to get to know your neighbors is the best way to know who doesn’t belong in your neighborhood. Who’s the stranger walking down the street? What is that strange vehicle doing backed into my neighbor’s driveway?

We have all worked hard for our belongings and should work just as hard to keep them. Crime Prevention must start with the individual homeowner.

Keeping an inventory of items is a great way to assist law enforcement if you are burglarized. A written description and photos will help when the detective is going through the pawn shops trying to identify your items.

When you are away leave a light on a timer, set to come on and off periodically, to give anyone watching your house the impression someone is at home. Depending on the size of your home, you may want to set up more than one.

Have a close neighbor pick up your newspaper and mail. Leaving these things lying around makes it obvious that no one is at home.

If you have a home security system, get in the habit of setting it every time you leave your home unoccupied. Many reputable services will offer you a free estimate to install a basic system, if you don’t already have one. You may find it’s within your budget. My own experience has shown that burglars tend to look for the easiest targets — a thief will pass by a home with a burglar alarm sign in the yard or decals on the doors and windows.

Unplug your garage door motor; this prevents any undesirables from driving down the street with a device capable of copying the electronic codes in your garage door opener.

On a side note, turn off water to your washing machine, your faucets and toilets. If for some reason something is going to spring a leak it always seems to happen when you are away.

Be cautious putting out your Christmas presents too early, especially if your tree is in front of a window. Burglars may peer into your windows and see a lot of items and come back when you are not at home, break-in and steal them.

If you must take a purse or other valuables that you intend to lock in the trunk, place them there before you leave home. We have reports of thieves watching shopping center parking lots. If you jump out of your car at a mall and open your trunk to throw in your purse, the thieves are wise to that fact — and you are now a target. A slick crook can be in your trunk in seconds. When you have finished shopping in one store, you need to put your gifts in your trunk. After you do, drive your car to a different entrance, near to where you will be shopping.

It is essential to remain aware of your surroundings when holiday shopping, if you see something out of the ordinary, report it to mall security or a police officer — the sooner the better.

Many newer automobiles come with electronic key fobs that allow you to push a button to lock and unlock your car. During shopping trips this year, I suggest you lock your doors with the button inside your car, rather than the key fob. Thieves, even across a crowded parking lot, can read the electronic signal transmitted by the key fob using a device that will clone your code into another key fob to be used after you are gone.

Law enforcement officers will be watching for seat belt usage and impaired drivers during the holiday season. Traffic citations are expensive and will take the fun out of your holiday celebration. Please pass this information on to your family and friends.