Police provide tips for discouraging home burglaries
A sawing sound coming from the back of a west side house thisweek prompted Madison police to issue a list of tips onhow residents can prevent, or at least make it more difficult, fora burglar to enter.
A couple asleep in their Hammersley Road area home heard thesawing or cutting sound emanating from a bathroom window.
Upon investigation, they discovered an outside screen window hadbeen sliced by a would-be burglar who used a ladder to get up tothe window. the burglar was scared off when the homeowners checkedit out.
“The west police district is currently experiencing manycut-screen burglaries or attempted burglaries,” said policespokesman Joel DeSpain in a news release.
There’s no dead-solid perfect way to keep someone out of yourhouse if they really want to get in, but here are some ways to keepmost thieves outside:
• Lock your doors. Simple, right? “In many of our burglaries,there is no forced entry because someone just didn’t lock a door,”DeSpain said.
• Keep garage doors closed and locked. Burglars first look atthe easiest way to get in, and a garage door that’s wide open is agreat place to start. “Keep your cars locked inside the garage aswell,” DeSpain said. “Don’t leave valuables in plain sight in avehicle.”
• Secure sliding doors and windows. use a section of broomhandle cut to fit the bottom track of the sliding window or door,so they can’t be opened even if the thief gets past the lock.
• mark your property. use an engraver to put your driver’slicense number on tools, etc. and make a list of property or takepictures.
• buy a burglar alarm system. it could be pricey but if you havethe means, it’s a great deterrent. a big dog isn’t bad either.
• Leave a light on, and if you are going on a trip, put a lighton a timer.
• Keep exterior lights on, and if you feel it’s necessary, setup motion-activated lights.
• have the U.S. Postal Service hold delivery to your house untilyou get back. You can sign uphere.
• Work with your neighbors to keep watch if you are not athome, including having a neighbor pick up newspapers or anythingelse delivered to your door so thieves aren’t tipped off nobody’shome.
• Don’t show off your assets by leaving laptops, cellphones,etc. within easy sight or reach from a breached window.
• Don’t advertise you are heading out of town on vacation viaFacebook or other social media.
