Bad Guys Don't Sleep - Be Aware of Area Hot Prowl Burglaries

Residential burglary prevention continues to be a focus of the Arcadia Police Department. While Officers have made some recent daytime residential burglary arrests, the Department has also responded to reports of residential burglary occurring overnight. We refer to these crimes as Hot Prowl Burglaries. These crimes have happened while folks are home and asleep. In one instance, a victim woke up to a light being turned on in the home, and in a different case, the suspects attempted to force entry through a rear sliding glass door. The majority of residential burglary crimes in town occur during the day, however, due to these overnight instances, the Department will be deploying extra Officers on the streets during nighttime hours.

One of the most important pieces of this crime prevention puzzle is the resident. It is very important to discourage the would-be thief and make their job as difficult, time-consuming, and as noisy as possible.

Here are a few quick tips to help keep your home safe:

•Close and lock your windows and doors! Thieves look for an easy target.


•Lock your garage door. Thefts from garages are common and it offers ready access to pry tools.


•Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed so that windows and doors are visible.


•Maintain your home and make it looked lived in. Arrange for care if you leave on vacation.


•Don't leave newspapers, mail and door hanger materials in place. Arrange for a trusted friend or neighbor to collect these items for you.


•Know your neighbors! Be familiar with cars, faces and who belongs in your neighborhood.


•Leave different lights on when you leave. Use timers when gone overnight.


•How about a radio with a talk show station tuned in when you are gone?


•Use window stops/pins to prevent windows and sliding doors from being opened.


•Maintain lists of account numbers, valuable item serial numbers, and important phone numbers. Duplicate the list and maintain a copy elsewhere. Video or photo your belongings. This aids in property recovery as well as insurance replacement.


•Get and use an ALARM. Even simple alarms that are not connected to a central system are a deterrent.


•Ask and look for helpful tips. Your local police agency will usually offer home inspections and there are plenty of websites that offer prevention tips and ideas.


•Watch for and REPORT suspicious persons and activity. Most arrests that are made for burglary are not from a report by an alarm company, but rather from a local resident. If you see someone that does not belong in your neighborhood or on a neighbor's property, call the police.