Det_Higley said...
The summer time months, when it is warm is the time for thefts and burglaries to really get going. I get requests every year around Christmas to warn people of the dangers of thefts and burglaries, but there are actually less during that time of year than the summer time. At Christmas time, everything is new, everything has a special purpose, and it is more emotional when it is taken. This time of year most things are used, might not be noticed right away, and there is usually less emotion attached to the items. What makes this time of year some much more active for thefts and burglaries is that it is warm. Bad guys are lazy and don’t like the cold. More people are out doing stuff, more stuff is being taken outside, and there are more people out at night. We get busy doing yard work, working on and washing our cars, and fixing things. You go in to rest for a minute or get started on something else and forget to close the garage door, put the tools and toys away, forget to lock the car. Next thing you know it’s gone.

*Things to remember to prevent thefts /burglaries:- Lock It or Lose It - Lock your doors: house, garage, cars, RV/campers, and bicycles. Double check yourselves to make sure everything is locked.;- Leave a porch light on (the new low energy lights can be left on all night with more light and less energy)Light deep shadow areas;- Don’t leave anything in your car in view (glass does not stop rock keys);- Help your neighbors watch their property;- Trim tree branches up to 6’, and bushes down below 18” so that passing officers/neighbors can see your house.-Trim bushes away from windows and door.
*What you can do to help recover something you’ve lost:- Photograph your jewelry or any valuable item that does not have a serial number, and write a good description, and any appraisal info;- Mark your property or valuables with an identifying mark, preferably your driver's license with state abbreviation followed by number: eg: CA-B1234567 Any officer can run this anywhere in any state, or even around the world, and get your name.-Inventory your marked property on a form with descriptions including brand, model number, and serial number. Keep it in a safe place.

Police departments get hundreds of bicycles every year they cannot match to cases and return because the serial number was not recorded. They end up being given to charity. Utah also has a pawn shop database that requires all pawn shops to report everything they get. Last summer I was able to quickly return only 2 items to owners because they had their serial numbers and I located the items on the pawn database. If an item is reported stolen, but no serial numbers are given, the case is given two weeks then put into the active/closed file because no serial numbers or other information was given for the police to go off of.

Have your VISA/MasterCard, or other credit card numbers, coded and placed in a safe place, so if they are stolen, YOU can access the number. Some people store this information on their computers so they can access it anywhere in the world. This works as long as you have it coded so that you are the only one who can access this information.
Thanks to those who are leaving their lights on at night.

Good advice from Detective Higley!!! Please take this information and USE IT! Pass it on to your neighbors!! This blog is NOT just for me, Randy and Det. Higley. It is for everyone in our neighborhood!! Let's beef up the security here and make our area safer!