Daytime Burglaries

September 08, 2008
Contact: Elise Schaffer, PIO Phone: (608) 284-6142 Email: schaffer@co.dane.wi.us
Sheriff's Office

The Dane County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind residents to secure homes and garages during daytime hours. With children back in school and many adults at work during the day, opportunistic burglars may be targeting homes more during daytime hours. The Sheriff’s Office is investigating two daytime burglaries that occurred last week where a total of approximately $10,000.00 in property was stolen. Both incidents occurred on Tuesday, September 2nd, one in the town of Vienna and the other in the town of Windsor. The thieves were most interested in electronics like TV’s, stereos, and computers. Statistics show that 70% of burglars use some type of force to gain entry, but their preference is to gain easy access through an unlocked window or door. To deter burglars from targeting you home, consider taking these precautions: · Use a solid core or metal door for all entrance points to the home. · Use a quality, heavy-duty deadbolt lock. · Use a heavy duty, four screw, strike plate with 3-inch screws to penetrate into the wooden doorframe. · Insert a wooden dowel or stick into the track of a sliding glass door to restrict movement. · Secure all windows with a secondary blocking device. · Consider using a home safe to protect valuables. · Be a good neighbor – Get to know your neighbors and agree to watch each other’s homes. Communicate with them often and pick up newspapers and mail when they are out of town. Residents should take these precautions even when they are home during the day. In the absence of visible activity in and around the home, a burglar may assume the home is empty and catch the resident off guard, creating the possibility of a more significant crime. ###