Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Crime prevention tips

It's easy to think of a burglary without looking at the bigger picture. But as the Manatee Sheriff's Office points out in a press release today, a stolen GPS unit, laptop or a garage door opener can lead to bigger problems if proper precautions are not taken.

The release gives three scenarios in which a burglar sees the items in a car in plain view, breaks a window and takes them :


One: A laptop probably contains some, or even all, of the user's personal information. This would put that person at risk for identity theft. An easy way to avoid this problem is not to leave a laptop in plain view.


Two: A car left in the driveway with the garage door opener inside gives a burglar an easy access point to the home. One of the best ways to avoid this problem is to remove the garage door opener from the car every night. In addition, homeowners should always keep the inner garage door to the main house locked and have a dead-bolt installed.


Three: Ever programmed your home address in your GPS under the title "home"? If so, make sure to change it. Think about it, if someone takes it, while you are still out, they can easily find your home by simply clicking for your address. The sheriff's office suggests renaming your home address under a code name that only you know. 


When it comes to burglaries, the best mindset to be in, according to the release, is to think in terms of the bigger items a burglar can get to. As the sheriff's office reminds: "Take away that opportunity:  REMOVE IT OR LOSE IT and THEN SOME!"

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