Help Prevent Burglary This Summer

From an Alameda Police Department press release:

Preventing summertime home burglaries is often overlooked by people planning to leave town on vacation. Alameda is a safe community, and enjoys a comparatively lower crime rate than other cities in the Bay Area. No community, however, is immune to crime. It is easy to become complacent. Remember, anyone can be a victim of crime.

Burglars are opportunists and look for homes and apartments to break into when they believe no one is home.

The Alameda Police Department wants to remind all residents of some simple crime prevention tips that can help prevent a burglary from occurring when you are away at work or on vacation. 

• Before you leave, make sure ALL doors and windows are closed and locked 
• If your home is equipped with an alarm system, set it every time you leave 
• Deadbolts are recommended on all doors including those leading from the garage into the home. 
• Get to know your neighbors so you are better able to recognize suspicious people. 
• Store jewelry, firearms, and other valuables in safes or safe deposit boxes 
• Consider organizing a Neighborhood Watch program. Your beat officer will attend the meeting and answer questions about neighborhood issues. Call the Alameda Police Department COPPS Unit at 337-8305 to schedule a meeting. 

During the summer, uniformed police volunteers will pass out flyers in neighborhoods where burglaries have occurred. These flyers are intended to alert residents of the crimes, encourage anyone with information to call police, and to remind residents of crime prevention techniques. 

Don’t be a victim of a summertime burglary. Follow these simple steps to ensure that your home is safe and secure. Working together, residents and the police officers who serve them can make Alameda a safer community.