The Dublin Division of Police, in an effort to solve and prevent crime from occurring, has identified burglaries and thefts from vehicles as their top crime concerns.

That is why Dublin Police are launching ‘Like it. Lock it.’ a large scale educational campaign to create awareness and understanding on how you can reduce your chances of becoming a victim of crime and decrease the number of residential burglaries and thefts from vehicles in Dublin.

“We have studied local residential burglaries in Dublin over the past three years and have concluded that most of these were crimes of opportunity and we believe many could have been prevented,” said Interim Chief of Police Heinz von Eckartsberg. 

Through our analysis of these crimes we have discovered that 51 percent of residential burglaries in Dublin occurred because a garage door was left open and that most open garage door residential burglaries occurred between 7 p.m. and 4 a.m.,” said von Eckartsberg.

By leaving garage doors open, residents take the unnecessary and much avoidable risk of losing valuable items. Tools, golf clubs, unlocked vehicles and bicycles are left in clear view to criminals. By simply closing and securing your garage door you eliminate the risk of being an easy target.

With the introduction of ‘Like it. Lock it.’ Dublin Police hope to not only educate residents on ways to prevent burglaries, but also inform corporate partners and overnight guests on ways to stop criminals before they have a chance.

Dublin Police advise everyone to remove valuables from unattended vehicles and to make sure vehicles are locked at all times. Leaving items such as an iPod or a GPS device is an open invitation for someone to break into your car and steal them.

In an effort to reduce the frequency of these crimes officers will continue to issue notifications to residents when their garage doors are open or property is in plain view in their vehicles.

“We are asking you to help us spread the word to your friends and neighbors: Like it. Lock it. Keep it Safer in Dublin,” said von Eckartsberg.

 

 

Burglaries

Close Your Garage Door

By leaving garage doors open, residents take the unnecessary and much avoidable risk of losing valuable items. Tools, golf clubs, unlocked vehicles and bicycles are left in clear view to criminals. By simply closing and securing your garage door you eliminate the risk of being an easy target.

Almost 80 percent of residential burglaries could have been prevented. The following are prevention strategies to reduce burglaries in Dublin:

Like it. Lock it. Strategies

1. Increase the Risk to the Offender

The most important ingredient to decrease the chances of becoming a victim of burglary is to create the illusion of occupancy at a residence.

• If a person is leaving town on vacation, enlist someone to pick up newspapers and the mail or stop mail and newspaper delivery altogether.  Consider using the Dublin Police vacation house watch service.  Ask your neighbor to put out garbage in front of your residence on trash days.  Ask a friend to enter your house twice per day (morning and dusk).  Let a neighbor you trust know that you will be away and ask them to keep an eye out

• A person should keep their lawn mowed

• Park vehicles in the driveway off and on

• Do not leave outdoor lights on during the daytime

• Install a telephone answering machine or voice mail that answers within two rings and responds with either a message that implies that the resident stepped out for a few minutes and will be right back, or a message that implies that someone is home but the phone is rarely answered in person

• Do not put a name on the mailbox or anywhere outside the home

• Install inexpensive timers on normally used interior and exterior lights so they turn on and off at normal times

• Put a radio or television on a timer and have it playing loud enough to be heard from outside the front door or window

• Leave a car in the driveway or out in front of the house (do not leave a garage door opener in the vehicle)

• Install outdoor floodlights (motion sensor) and have them on a timer

• Keep a dog as a pet.  Dogs attract attention with their barking and often bark at strangers

• Install a security system

• Post signs in high visible locations that you have a security system (alarm system)

• Consider replacing privacy fences with more permeable fencing or lowering fence height

2. Increase the Effort for the Burglar

Most criminals follow the route of least resistance, almost always choosing a target that is easy to get into over one that appears difficult.

• Install high quality dead-bolt and/or vertical bolt locks

• Install metal doors and doorjambs

• Install and use extra locks or security bars on sliding glass doors

• Lock all doors and windows

• Lock screen doors

• Close and lock garage doors

• Tint or block out garage door windows

• Turn on and use the security/alarm system

• Remove garage door openers from vehicles parked in the driveway or out on the street

• Keep shrubbery and landscaping trimmed to reduce hiding places

3. Reduce the Reward

Conspicuous displays of affluence increase a residence’s attractiveness as a burglary target

• Store expensive collectibles (i.e. coin collections, stamp collections, expensive jewelry, etc.) in a safe deposit box.

• Maintain a hidden safe at home to secure and hide valuables

• Maintain photos and serial numbers of electronics, expensive items, etc. in the event they become stolen as it may assist in the recovery of the items

• Remove and hide valuables when repairmen, salesmen, deliverymen, and other strangers will be in your home

 

Theft from Vehicles

Remove Your Valuables and Lock Your Vehicle

Dublin Police advises residents to remove valuables from unattended vehicles and to make sure vehicles are locked at all times. Leaving items such as an iPod or a GPS device is an open invitation for someone to break into your car and steal them.

Through our analysis of these crimes we have discovered that 21 percent of thefts in Dublin occurred because the door was unlocked and that most thefts from vehicles occurred between 6 and 10 p.m.

The following are prevention strategies to reduce thefts from vehicles in Dublin:

Like it. Lock it. Strategies

1. Increase the Risk to the Offender

The most important ingredient to decrease the chances of becoming a victim of theft from vehicle is to increase the actual or perceived risk to the offender.

• Install a car security/alarm system, check it regularly, and use it

• Park the vehicle in good lighting and with an unobstructed view

• If you are at a location that uses external video cameras, park near the video camera field of view

• Keep an eye out for suspicious persons/vehicles and call the police immediately if you witness a crime or suspicious activity

2. Increase the Effort for the Offender

Most criminals follow the route of least resistance, almost always choosing a target that is easy to get into over one that appears difficult.

• Lock vehicle doors

• Roll up vehicle windows

• Secure rear sliding windows, vent windows, and/or sunroof windows

3. Reduce the Reward

Consider strategies to make your vehicle appear unattractive for a would-be criminal.

• Remove valuables from the vehicle

• If unable to remove valuables from the vehicle, lock the valuables in the vehicle’s trunk or place them out of view

• Consider scheduling a trip home so as to not leave valuables in the vehicle.

We are asking you to help us spread the word to your friends and neighbors: Like it. Lock it. Keep it Safer in Dublin.