Police offer burglary prevention tips as holiday season comes to a close

As burglary continues to pose a threat to area homes during the holiday season, police officers are reminding residents of a few precautionary steps they can take to help lower the chance they will be hit.

Prairie Village police crime prevention officer Matt Boggs said a number of the most recent burglaries have occurred when people have been out of town for a few days at a time. Families will return home from a three or four day trip to find their house has been broken into, he said. As such, it’s been difficult for police to tell when many of the burglaries have occurred — though he said that one recent break in took place during a 45 minute window around noon when a resident was out at lunch.

“We definitely think there are a few groups responsible for the burglaries,” Boggs said. “And, unfortunately, when you get one off the street, there’s usually another there to take its place.”

Boggs asked area residents to keep a close eye out for their neighbors, and offered the following safety tips:

• Don’t leave boxes for high-ticket holiday gifts out on the curb where they’re plainly visible. Seeing the boxes alerts burglars to what may be inside to steal. Turn the boxes inside out or cut them into smaller pieces to make them difficult to identify.
• Close the blinds during the day. Open windows provide an easy way for burglars to scope out electronic items they may be looking to steal.
• If you’re going out of town, set your lights on timers, and ask neighbors to drive on your driveway if it snows. Do anything you can to make it look like the house is occupied. An obviously empty house can be a tempting target.