Brazen Burgles

My neighbor, Sue, (the one who always rags on me for keeping my garage door open) told me that she knew someone in the Summer Ridge development who got burglarized recently.

But, here's the thing. This woman was at home, inside her house during the day, but her garage door was open. The thief took valuables she had left in her car while she was in the house. Creepy.

It makes you think. How many times are you home with your garage door open and your purse or wallet in your car?

The Sammamish Police Department has a report out that says this crime is more common than one may think. Here are some tips they suggest for keeping you and your posessions safe:

1. Call 9-1-1 when ANY suspicious persons and/or vehicles are observed in neighborhoods, especially late at night.

2. Put exterior lighting on timers or motion detectors so the porch, the exterior perimeter of the house, and the driveway are well lighted during hours of darkness.

3. Park cars in the garage or at least under exterior lighting.

4. Keep the overhead garage door closed except when entering or exiting or when working adjacent to it (not only is an open garage a temptation, but it also advertises to passersby whether you are home or not).

5. Keep the side or rear garage door (for people) closed, locked, and dead bolted, just like any exterior door of the living area of the house. Ask your neighbors to contact you if they discover a door left open while you are away.

6. Take the keys and visible valuables out of the car when it is parked in the garage; take the keys and visible valuables out of cars parked in the driveway AND lock all the doors.

7. Keep the interior door between the living area of the house and the garage locked; it should have a deadbolt lock just like any exterior door of the house.

8. Install and use a residential burglar alarm system, at least whenever the house will be unoccupied; consider also using the alarm system for perimeter protection when you are at home, such as in the evenings.

9. If you are going on vacation, visit the Sammamish Police Station and fill out a Vacation House Check Form. (Sammamish Police frequently find unlocked doors at homes of residents who are on vacation!)

10. If there is no active Block Watch for your immediate neighborhood, call the Sammamish Police Department and request a Block Watch presentation. Certified Block Watches can display Block Watch Program warning signs; more importantly, participating in a Block Watch assists neighbors in working together to observe and report potential criminal
behavior.

So, thanks, Sue, for looking out for me! If you've noticed, I've been keeping my garage doors closed lately!