Below are some holiday safety tips and facts from Detective Boyer.
In reviewing incidents that occurred during December 2009 and comparing that with December 2010 incidents, criminal activity rose in regards to entering autos and burglaries within the City of Dunwoody. This rise seemed to focus around the holiday season, peaking just before and immediately after the Christmas holiday. After reviewing these incidents the Dunwoody Police would like to share some safety tips to help preserve your belongings in an attempt to curb this activity from repeating in 2010.
Entering Autos:
Please be sure to lock your vehicle at all times.
Do not leave items of value in plain sight (i.e.: GPS’s, iPod’s, laptops, etc.).
When starting your car in the morning to defrost, lock the vehicle, using your spare key set, before returning inside your residence and out of sight of your car. Never leave a running vehicle unattended.
While shopping, if you make trips from the store to your vehicle to drop off your merchandise, take that opportunity to move your vehicle to another area of the parking lot or to a different anchor store at the mall.
Burglaries:
Keep your residence secured at all times, regardless if you are home or not.
If you have a security system make sure you activate it prior to leaving.
Keep your blinds closed when you’re not at home.
Wipe down entryways (windows and doors) for fingerprints.
Do not permit salesmen and/or strangers into your home.
If you are scheduled for a home repair, ensure all valuables are put away in secure place that is out of sight. Record serial numbers of electronics and valuable from within your home, and photograph jewelry and other precious items. You can save your serial numbers and photographs in the “File Cabinet” in Interactive Defense under the Safety Center tab.
When cleaning up after Christmas make, sure to shred boxes prior to setting them out for the trash, (i.e.: TV boxes, electronic boxes, kitchen appliance boxes, etc). Do not let a stranger know what your family received for Christmas.
With this information it is our goal to make you a more observant neighbor and active member of the community. In an effort to help Dunwoody Police curb this activity, please remain vigilant during this holiday season, whether it be within your residence / subdivision or while out shopping. As residents of Dunwoody, you play an active role in our community; therefore, by notifying us of suspicious persons and activity you are helping make Dunwoody a better place. Remember; report all suspicious activity and persons to 911 immediately. Thank you for your efforts.
