An officer responds to a call of a burglary. A homeowner has come home after being out all day and a window is open and a curtain flutters in the breeze. The homeowner calls the police because they aren’t sure if someone is still inside. The officer makes entry into the home and searches through every room, closet and hiding spot. No one is found inside but items are missing. Every door was left unlocked and every window too. Not the work of the burglar, but the carelessness of the homeowner. The burglar had every opportunity to enter and violate the privacy and protection of the home.

America has been called the land of opportunity. Burglars want opportunity and advantages as well. By leaving everything unlocked or open, the burglar took seconds to find what they wanted and left quickly. By locking doors and using deadbolts that secure the door you cut down the most common path of entry for a burglar. By latching windows shut and using window rods, locks or clamps, the second most common entry point is secured.

Bars on windows, security doors front and back, video doorbells, dogs in the yard, and video/alarm systems all are proven methods that work well on stopping thieves from entering your home. Neighbors that care about each other and are willing to call the police and each other can stop crime while it is happening.

Thieves also look through neighborhoods looking for opportunities with vehicle contents. Valuables left in plain sight can be gone in the second or two that it takes to smash a window. Unlocked doors provide less of a challenge to a thief as they move from vehicle to vehicle down the road. Lock the door and set the alarm even if you are going to be gone for just a few moments. Secure habits make for safer keeping of what you have.

Call the Southern Ute Police Department if you see suspicious people in your neighborhood or people acting differently. Durango and Bayfield caught one person using their work truck to scout out a neighborhood in the morning and then come back later in evening with the same work truck and uniform to commit burglary. Give complete and accurate descriptions of the people and vehicles involved to the dispatcher. Together, you and the Southern Ute Police Department can make our neighborhoods safer.