On August 16, 20th Street residents walked the 3900 block of 20th with Dave Burke.  The objective was to identify ways to deter residential break-ins/burglaries

Dave described the burglar mindset: stealing is the profession, the burglar wants our things, not to hurt us, and usually does not break in via the front door.  90 % of break- ins happen between 2 am and sunrise.  Dave’s specific recommendations covered three areas:

Lighting: 

• Bright light over front door, over garage, and at back door (“treat back door like your front door”

• Don’t use motion-activated lights.  Set a timer to turn on the light at sundown and off at sunrise.  If burglars see a lit street, they will find a dark one

• Light up spaces in between homes    

Security:

• Secure all doors and windows even when you’re home

• Set up cameras at the front and back doorsSet up TV lights, lights on timers and/or get a dog!

• Do the same for the garage – radio or machinery noise

• Reinforce any garage windows and pull up the emergency release cord    

Garden: 

• Cut back bushes as burglars hide

• Keep front garden neat and beautiful; burglars prefer unkept homes    

• Keep garden free of ladders for burglars to climb and tools to take

Network with neighbors. Know when they are out of town.  Watch out for each other!