Bedford Police: Avoid a Burglary

The Bedford Police Depatment wants residents to be safe and secure.

Each month the department will feature crime prevention and safety tips, which it will send out through Nixle, and we'll post here on Bedford Patch as well.

This month, police have offered the following burglary prevention tips and suggestions to keep you and your family safe at home:

• Lock your doors, install and use deadbolts.

• Lock your windows when they are closed or use night locks.

• If you have an alarm system especially with an audible alarm, use it! Both, when you are at home and away from your residence.

• Stay alert, and report any suspicious or out of the ordinary activity in your neighborhood. You know your neighborhood best and what belongs there and what does not.

• If you see something suspicious get a detailed description of subjects and or vehicle, but without putting yourself in any danger.

• Trim your trees and bushes around your house that hide doors or windows.

• Keep ladders, tools, toys, and recreational equipment inside when you are not using them.

• If you hear a noise that sounds like someone’s breaking in or moving around, quietly call the police and wait calmly until they arrive. If you can leave safely, do so. Otherwise, lock yourself in the room you are in.

• Tell your neighbors when you are going away on a trip or on vacation. Ask them to keep an eye on your house.

• When going away for a period of time you can fill out a vacant property form here at the Bedford Police Department and the BPD will occasionally check your property while you are away.

• Put interior lights on timers, stagger the timers and the lights when possible.

• Take a walk around your home and examine it for any easy entry points where you think someone could get in. Find these access points and fix them. Don't make it easy for a burglar.

• Get together with your neighbors and form a neighborhood watch group. Contact the BPD for more information on our neighborhood watch program 472-5113 X340.

• Don't advertise or announce that you are going away, i.e., posting it on social media websites.

• Most important, if you see something that does not look right, then say something. Call the Bedford Police Department.

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