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Experts and police offer advice following spree of 100-plus local burglaries
Steps to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of a household burglary range from common sense precautions around the home to thinking twice before sharing personal information online, according to experts and police.
Last week, the Sidney Police Department announced law enforcement officers are investigating two Sidney women for allegedly burglarizing more than 100 homes in Cheyenne County. According to police, at least some of the homes burglarized were selected because of information posted on the Internet.
As social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, become ubiquitous among all age groups, users are increasingly sharing information, including personal details, about their day-to-day lives.
Michelle Boykins, National Crime Prevention Council senior director of communications, said before clicking “Post,” people should be mindful of what they’re disclosing and to whom.
“We certainly recommend that you do not share that you’re going to be out of town,” she said. “A lot of people will not only say they’re excited to go on vacation, but they’ll also give the duration for how long they’re going to be gone.”
In the wrong hands, that information can be put to nefarious uses.
“You’ve not only let criminals know they have an opportunity to burglarize your home, but you’ve let them know how long they have before you return,” Boykins said.
Friend requests should also only be accepted from people users know, she added.
“In today’s virtual world, it’s so easy to friend someone you don’t know,” she said. “In our opinion, if you don’t have an actual friendship or relationship with that person, that may not be someone you want to share all of your information with.”
Most social media platforms have methods to limit what information is shared to various groups – and on one’s public profile. Boykins said those privacy options should be used.
Apps that allow individuals to “check-in” at locations should be used carefully, she added.
“We recommend you don’t check-in until you’ve actually already left there,” Boykins said. “I know that for some people that may seem counterintuitive, but if you want someone to join you, instant message them directly or text them directly.”
The same goes for posting blogs or photos from vacations: wait until the trip is over before sharing online.
“You never know who is looking to see if someone is out and about, and for how long they may be out, because they’re looking to do something that is criminal,” she said.
These precautions allow people to use the interactive aspects of social media without letting others know someone’s every move and whereabouts, Boykins said.
“We have to take the responsibility ourselves,” she said.
Outside of the Internet, there are many steps people can take to safeguard their homes, Sidney Police Chief B.J. Wilkinson said last week.
“Lock your stuff up,” he said. “If you have a window air conditioner, secure it to the window. Don’t just sit it in there and pull the window down. Secure it – put some screws in it – and make it more difficult to get in.”
When leaving for vacation or an extended period of time, it’s a good idea to let your neighbors know – and tell them who is allowed to be around and who is not, he added.
The police department can also do vacation watches.
“Call us, we’ll do extra patrols,” he said. “We’ll come by and check your house for you while you’re gone. We’ll do a walk around – rattle your doors, check your windows.”
In a small city, residents can be lulled into a sense of complacency, Wilkinson said.
“We live in a great city, a small city,” he said. “It’s quiet, we enjoy a low crime rate, everybody knows everybody. But with comfort sometime comes complacency – ‘I don’t need to lock my doors,’ or ‘ I don’t need to put my windows up.’ ”
The recent burglaries, however, demonstrate that every now and then, there is somebody who will take advantage of that, Wilkinson explained.
“There are bad people with bad intentions keeping track of our complacency,” he said. “And we have an obligation to do what we can to stop them from getting the ability to take advantage of us. Because they’ll do it.”
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