SAFETY ALERT IN SOUTHAMPTON
There has been a very disturbing rise in the amount of burglaries in Southampton Township and the adjacent area during the past few weeks. Residents are strongly encouraged to pay attention to their surroundings. If you witness suspicious people driving around in your area or observe unfamiliar vehicles parked in your neighborhood, please call the Red Lion Barracks of the New Jersey State Police at 609-859-2281. It is important that if you suspect your home or business has been burglarized, do not attempt to go in since the burglar may still be inside. If you witness criminal activity in progress or are a victim of a burglary, please dial 911 immediately. Please write down a license plate number, vehicle description, and description of a person or persons that you find acting suspiciously, but do not approach them.
The following are some precautions residents are encouraged to take to protect your home and business from the ongoing activity. They were compiled from numerous law enforcement web sites.
For more information and tips, go to http://www.njsp.org/.
- Install good locks on doors and windows. Before you go to sleep or leave your property, make sure all the locks on doors and windows are completely locked.
- Invest in a home, security system. Place the security system on before you go to sleep or leave your property. Mark your property well with warning signs in windows and at entrances that you have an installed alarm system.
- Consider installing motion detector lights on the outside of your home. Use electronic timers on inside lights. A week or two before you leave, set your timers so you can establish a pattern while you are still home. Good lighting will act as a deterrent to a burglar.
- Consider leaving a few lights on in the building, a radio on, and a television set on. Noise will act as a deterrent to a burglar.
- DO NOT leave valuables where they can be easily seen through windows or doors. These include stereos, televisions, computers, jewelry, gun collections, etc. If you will be gone for an extended period of time, store these items well out of sight.
- Do not let your travel plans be widely known. Try to arrange for a house sitter, but if you can't, let a trusted neighbor known that you will be away so they can keep an eye out on your home.
- Mark your valuables with an identification number so if they should be lost or stolen, they can be identified. Also, you may want to consider taking photographs or video of your most valuable possessions to aid in their identification if the items are lost or stolen.
- Collect newspapers, trash cans, recyclable cans, and mail daily. Thieves notice that these items are not collected and make the assumption that the residence is not occupied.
- Do not leave packages for pick up in plain view. Schedule pick ups when you are present at your residence. If you know a delivery is on the way, make an effort to be home when the packages arrive or notify the company that you want the package put out of plain sight, but in a location you will be aware of.
- Lock up your vehicles and take the keys with you. Lock the trunk or tailgate. Close all windows. Leave valuables out of plain sight in the vehicles. Consider installing security devices on your vehicle.