Preventing Burglary
For those individuals who have been the unfortunate victims of burglary, they would probably agree that the knowledge that a stranger had rummaged through their belongings and their home is unsettling to say the least. For victims of burglary, not only is the fact that someone has violated their privacy an issue, but it is also a major inconvenience for them to contact their insurance companies, to replace their stolen goods, and to replace or repair damaged property. There are a number of crime prevention techniques that citizens can utilize to help protect their property and vehicles from being burglarized. Some of the following are listed below.
- Leave your garage door and outbuilding doors closed at all times. This includes even when you’re at home.
- Always chain up your bicycles, scooters, and lawn mowers.
- Do whatever you can to increase the visibility to your property such as increasing lighting and cutting back overgrown trees or bushes.
- Install 1” case hardened steel deadbolt locks on all exterior doors. 1
- Whenever possible, try to leave a vehicle parked in the driveway even when there is no one home. Remember to leave no valuables in the car and lock the doors.
- Get to know your neighbors well so that you can help each other by calling 911 if a suspicious character is on either your or their property.
- Consider installing an alarm system.
- Call 911 if you see suspicious characters in your neighborhood. This is especially true if you live in a rural area of the county. Burglars are most often caught by citizens calling 911 for a suspicious character. There are ways to tell the difference between solicitors and burglars.
- Solicitors will generally go to every house on the street and will look for houses that appear occupied.
- Burglars will skip several houses or look for houses that appear to be unoccupied.
- Solicitors want to contact as many people as possible,.
- Burglars and thieves generally want to avoid people.
- Keep valuables, guns, and important documents locked up in a safe inside your house in order to make it much more difficult for a burglar to remove these items from your home.
It is also recommended that home and business owners consider filling out a Property Inventory Sheet which would allow them to catalog all of the pertinent identifying information on their valuable items. Having serial numbers, VINs, and other identifying information in an accessible place is extremely helpful to law enforcement officers in the event that a burglary or theft does occur. Insurance companies often request a copy of property inventory sheets as well.
In conclusion, while burglaries will probably never be completely eradicated, there are things that can be done to decrease a home owner’s chance of becoming a victim. In the event that a burglary or theft does occur at your residence, there are also things that you can do to help law enforcement officers accurately document the situation and investigate the crime itself. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office encourages you to contact us if you have any questions about what you can do to protect your property or yourself. Community Policing Unit (316) 660-0750.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this document is not intended to be legal advice but is merely intended to convey general information commonly encountered when dealing with the Subjects discussed herein. Because laws can change very rapidly, we cannot guarantee that any information on this document (or references contained therein) is current or accurate. Additionally, laws differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and are subject to interpretation of courts located in each county. Legal advice must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case and the information provided herein may not be an appropriate fit for your particular situation. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, its employees, agents, or others will not be liable or responsible for any claim, loss, injury, liability, or damages related to use of this document or any reference provided herein.
Resources
Property Inventory Sheet (pdf)
Property Inventory Sheet (Excel)
Property Inventory Sheet Example
References