BEVERLY HILLS—Police have provided a list of safety tips for the public to follow over the holiday season.
Before taking off for the holidays, the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) are advising residents to follow these common-sense practices to protect against home burglary while out of town.
To deter criminals, police recommend that homeowners make their residence look as if it is currently inhabited since most burglars want to avoid confrontation when choosing a location. The appearance of occupancy can be achieved by postponing daily delivery of mail and newspapers or by asking a friend or neighbor to collect the daily mail instead. Hide empty garbage cans out of sight or ask a friendly neighbor to move the garbage bins to the curb and back inside after collection.
Homeowners can also program automatic timers for lights and radios to go on and off and have neighbors randomly park their vehicles on the driveway to create the illusion that people are inside.
Police do not recommend hiding house keys in mailboxes, under doormats, in planters, or at any outside location. Alternatively, spare keys could be left to a trusted neighbor or family member.
Create and keep a record of the serial numbers of valuable items to be left at home, and then store jewelry and valuables in a safe deposit box. The list of valuables should be stored somewhere safe, either digitally in a personal email account, in a safe deposit box or remain in physical possession.
Another tip in protecting against burglary is to have expensive electronic equipment and computers engraved with the owner’s name, driver’s license number or other type of unique identifying marker.
The residence should have all windows, doors and gates efficiently locked. Often times, burglars peak down and rattle the side gates of homes to see if any dogs bark or if the gates are easily unlocked. Double locking windows and gates by purchasing cheap key locks at a store can ensure further protection from home invasion.
Also, double-check garage doors before leaving, and if possible, disarm or unplug any automatic garage door openers. If a vehicle is to remain at the home property, it is wise to hide any garage door openers inside the car from plain site.
People going out of town should also refrain from discussing travel plans with strangers or advertising plans on social media outlets such as Facebook or Twitter.
For community members who do not have travel plans, but will be remaining at home, the BHPD advises to still make sure and check that all door and window locks work properly and are locked before going to sleep. Do not open the door for any strangers, and if the house will be empty for the evening, leave lights and televisions on a set timer.
Police recommend that neighbors watch out for one another and immediately report any odd or suspicious activity to local law enforcement.
The BHPD is located at 464 N. Rexford Drive. If there is an emergency, call 9-1-1. For non-emergencies, call 310-550-4951.
