[RP TownTalk] Break-In's and Security

[Jennifer Ray Hare]

Hi All!

I grew up in and lived in Riverdale Park for nearly 30 years, and my mom
still lives here.  I'm growing more concerned about town resident's
security with each new message posted about a break in.

I don't mean to repeat things that we have already heard about home
security, and I am not suggesting that I am a home security expert,
however, I would like to share some of my professional training and
knowledge on this subject:

Inspect the premises of the homes/apartments which have been burglarized
and note which window, door or entry point the burglar gained access to the
residence at each home.  Note any bushes, fences, garages, trees or other
obstructions (like a car) that shielded the burglar's entry point from view
of a neighbor or passerby, and remove or remedy these obstructions from
your residence promptly.  Other town residents can take notes of this
information on the homes which were affected and take action to secure
their residences in an attempt to thwart this same type of criminal
activity. Additionally, some things a home owner, renter or resident can do
to possibly make their residence less attractive to a criminal are:

Install motion sensing exterior flood lights at minimum on all corners of
the house, garage and entry and exit doors, especially basement doors.
Install bright / flood exterior lights to the property which stay on 24
hours a day, 365 days a year, in addition to or in lieu of the motion
sensing flood lights.

Install bars on the windows on the levels easily accessed from the
exterior.  Even just a set of bars which cover the bottom half of windows
can be an effective deterrent to a petty theft or cat burglar who is
scoping out houses.

Install cameras which come with a monitoring system (these can run $1,000+
but a discount on home owners insurance may be applicable and might be able
to help to offset the overall cost of this type of system)

Remove or cut the shrubs or trees a criminal can climb to gain access into
a window or a door

Based on the LIMITED information I have read pertaining to these break-ins,
and someone else has already suggested this, these houses appear to be
targeted.  Someone appears to be watching for the signs that the
occupant(s) is not at home during the break in. The burglar may be a
resident of Riverdale Park, and may very well live in the area of the most
recent break in and walks over to the residence and gains access-- or the
burglar breaks in, steals and then gets into a waiting vehicle right
outside, or simply walks through the park to the other side, and gets away.

I, under no circumstances, am trying to place blame on the home owners, nor
is my post an attempt to overshadow what the Police have done, or do, in
regards to security here in the town. There are always pro-active things
all of us can do to protect our homes, our families and our neighborhood,
and those pro-active actions also include watching out for one another.
 Take a moment to go outside and walk around your house -or with a
companion-walk around your block, before you turn in at night.  Take a
flashlight, your cell phone, your ID, your pet, and a whistle if those
things make you feel more comfortable about being out at 9, 10, or 11 pm
 or later on your walk.

Again, I repeat, under no circumstances am I trying to place blame on the
home owners, or neighbors, nor is my post an attempt to overshadow what the
Police have done, or do, in regards to security here in the town.  We all
can take a few actions, be vigilant about keeping an eye on our neighbors,
and always ALWAYS immediately pick up the phone to report anything
suspicious to the Riverdale Park Police Department.

Stay cool and hydrated in this heat, everyone!

Jennifer Hare, LEED
Riverdale Park Sustainability Committee Member
Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Environmental Design, MSU 2012
Master of Science in Sustainability Management, Columbia University, Degree
Candidate, December 2014
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