Open Garage Doors May Prompt a Visit From Muskego Police

I was pretty surprised to read that while I sleep it's likely my open garage door is getting the attention of .

Our complacence has often prompted the neighbors to say they know when we're on vacation because that's the only time we close it.  However, Lt. Dave Constantineau points out how outdated that practice is, and he's asking for everyone to be more proactive in preventing theft from their cars and garages.

"When I was growing up, we could go to bed with our doors open and unlocked, our cars open and unlocked, and our bikes lying in the front yard.  When we got up the next day, everything was where it was when we went to bed.  I am a little young for Andy and Opie, but I watched the reruns.  It may have been that way once but, I am sorry to say, we don’t live in Mayberry anymore," Constantineau said.

"As safe as Muskego is, we still need to take precautions, and not help someone victimize us.  I have raised this point before, and will continue to remind you as long as we continue to take complaints and receive the calls.  Lock your cars, put your toys, tools and property away, and close your garage door.  It seems like every time we receive a complaint of a theft from a vehicle, the target vehicle was unlocked, while the locked vehicle next door was untouched," he pointed out. 

Guilty as charged.  However, there really is nothing of value in our vehicles that I would ever leave in them.  In addition, a story from a friend who explained that someone breaking into his locked vehicle through a side window left him with a large bill, as insurance companies don't cover side windows, only the windshield.

Constantineau also asks us to close garage doors, explaining that "Our log is full of our third shift officers finding garage doors open in the middle of the night.  Our officers try to contact the homeowner and let them know that the door is open, but many of you are incredibly hard sleepers, and don’t respond to knocks at the door or phone calls." 

The officers will leave a courtesy card and attempt to close the door according to Constantineau, never knowing if anything has already been taken.  So, if you wake up and think, 'I could've sworn I left the garage door open,' it's likely MPD has been through.  Or a criminal has cleaned out your garage and did so behind closed doors.

Our door and the garage it hangs in is showing its age, and closing it requires great effort. However, it's likely nothing in comparison to the effort it takes to replace the 'stuff' in it.