Hello!
With the coming of spring and the warmer weather, many of us open our windows and doors to get some fresh air after the long winter.
Unfortunately, there are those who will take advantage of easier access to your home at any time of year. Recently we've had some burglaries in the central district; entry was made through unlocked doors or windows. Thieves often go the route of least resistance, checking for open doors and selecting those residences which are easiest to enter. They may also peek into windows looking for items of value like laptops, purses, or electronics that, if seen, promise a profitable burglary.
One of the main drivers of burglaries throughout the City is opiate addiction; unfortunately this epidemic does not show any signs of abatement and we can expect this societal/public health crisis to continue to drive property crimes up in our community (and others).
Here are some recommendations for protecting your home and valuables:
*Lock your doors--even when you are in your home
*Close and lock your windows, especially when you are not home and at night
*Don't leave common area doors propped open
*If you have problems with your locks or the locks on common doors, notify
property management to get them fixed
*Keep valuables out of plain sight when you are not home
*If you are hosting parties or events where you expect people you do not know, do not leave valuables lying around
*Consider getting renters insurance to protect yourself if you do incur a loss; it is relatively inexpensive
*Remember also to keep your car locked and valuables out of sight
If you are the victim of a property crime, please report it! One suspect is often responsible for multiple crimes and your incident may provide the clue(s) that lead to identification and arrest.
*Don't open your door to strangers
I include the last bullet point as a reminder that burglary is not the only motivation for a criminal to enter your home--unfortunately, they may be there to assault you and these crimes have enormous and long-lasting impact on the victims. Many of the steps above will not only protect you from property crime, but from far more violent crimes as well.
For those of you are interested, below is some data about burglaries and the Central District.
|
|
YEAR |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
MONTHLY AVERGAGE |
|
MONTH |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January
|
|
18 |
17 |
15 |
22 |
18 |
|
February
|
|
24 |
13 |
13 |
26 |
19 |
|
March
|
|
20 |
14 |
20 |
15 |
17.25 |
|
April
|
|
10 |
8 |
18 |
15 |
12.75 |
|
May
|
|
14 |
19 |
31 |
34 |
24.5 |
|
June
|
|
22 |
19 |
15 |
15 |
17.75 |
|
July
|
|
26 |
17 |
24 |
21 |
22 |
|
August
|
|
37 |
31 |
24 |
21 |
28.25 |
|
September
|
|
36 |
18 |
30 |
26 |
27.5 |
|
October
|
|
39 |
25 |
46 |
26 |
34 |
|
November
|
|
26 |
21 |
21 |
23 |
22.75 |
|
December
|
|
20 |
15 |
16 |
28 |
19.75 |
|
TOTALS BY YEAR |
|
292 |
217 |
243 |
272 |
YEARLY AVERAGE =256 |
Thanks and stay safe!
And one more thing: below is a link to a survey being conducted by the O.I.R. group commissioned by the Madison Common Council. Please take a moment to open the link and complete the survey!