Don't be a victim

I blogged last week about the police department's efforts to reduce residential burglary by notifying people when their garage door is standing open. There is another type of garage burglary, however, that is even more concerning. This one applies only to people who have an attached garage.

A good example happened yesterday morning (B4-038801), in far south Lincoln. At about 4:45 AM, a couple sleeping in their upstairs bedroom heard a familiar sound: a creaking noise they recognized as the door between their attached garage and the house.  Upon investigating, they discovered that someone had apparently entered their garage through the unlocked walk-in door, gone from the garage into the house through the unlocked connecting door, then took the wife's purse off a shelf right inside.

This is a modus operandi that we have experienced before. It is very disconcerting to know that you've not only been the victim of a burglary, but that the criminal was actually right inside your house while the family slept. This type of burglary takes advantage of this common habit: men almost always deposit their wallet on the nightstand or on top of the dresser in the bedroom. Women, however, usually stow their purse very near the back door; on an entry table, for example, or on the kitchen counter.

So, in addition to making sure your garage door is closed, also check the walk-in doors, and give some thought to installing a good sturdy deadbolt with at least a one-inch throw on that exterior door into the garage--which is usually the most vulnerable point of all.