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BURGLARS PREY ON PEORIA CAR
OWNERS
During December of 2005, Peoria was
hit hard with vehicle burglaries. Information received from the
department’s Crime Analyst showed that there were 73 burglaries from
vehicles from December 1st to the 28th .Reports showed the 83rd
Avenue and Bell commercial district were hit the hardest. Below are
some steps you can take to help prevent burglaries from vehicle in
your neighborhood, where you work, and where you go shopping and for
entertainment:
• ALWAYS close your windows and lock your car doors. An open window
or unlocked door is an invitation to a criminal.
• Park in well lit areas close to a building. While parking in an
isolated spot may reduce the risk of door dings, a criminal looks
for cars parked out of the way.
• Try not to park on the street in your neighborhood.
• ALWAYS remove loose valuables from your vehicle. This includes
purses, wallets, cellular phones, laptop computers, and briefcases.
A car burglar loves to see items that can be grabbed easily and
carried away without much effort. A rock through the window is all
it takes to gain access to those items.
• Report suspicious persons seen wandering around your neighborhood,
in parking lots, or looking into cars as they walk by. Don’t
hesitate to call 911 to report suspicious persons and you can remain
anonymous.
• Keep a list of serial numbers for your commonly used electronic
equipment. Even if you plan on never leaving a cellular phone or
laptop computer in your car, you should record all of the following
information:
• Make of Item: (Motorola, Erickson, Compaq, etc.)
• Model Number
• Serial Number
Having this information available is necessary in order to enter the
items into the computer database. This will aid us in trying to
locate the item if the burglar(s) are found with them or if they
have been pawned. This will also ensure the property is returned to
the rightful owner.
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