Burglary spike in the area

[Karen Story]

Burglaries come in waves. There's a spike happening right now in
Kirkland and Redmond. A common method seems to be to knock on doors
during the day. If someone answers, they pretend to be selling
something. If no one answers they break in. If someone knocks on your
door, respond in some way! You don't have to open the door, just let
them know that someone is home.

If you see anything suspicious, call 911 right away! Burglars get
caught when people call in tips.

Burglaries also spike in the summer due to warm weather and open
windows - do not leave windows open when you are gone.

Most burglaries happen during the day - burglars do not want to break
in to occupied homes.

Here are some home security tips that were sent to me:

++ Number one, most powerful deterrent to break-ins in your
neighborhood is to know your neighbors. If you know them, you will
know what is normal for them/know their schedules, patterns, friends,
etc., and be more able to report suspicious activity around their
house (and vice versa). If you are leaving town, let a neighbor you
trust know, so that they can keep an eye out for anyone lurking around
your house.

++ Most break-ins are witnessed by someone (or at least someone saw
something suspicious). This one was surprising to me, but he said
usually after a break-in, they'll interview the neighbors, who'll say
"Yes--I saw that unfamiliar car across the street today, and someone
in their back yard when they weren't home, but I just thought they
must have been having some work done, and I didn't want to report
something if it turned out to be nothing." The police officer stressed
how frustrating that is for them to hear over and over again, because
if it was reported right away, they likely could have caught the
thief. So he stressed to always report any suspicious activity
immediately--no matter how minor it seems. He said they will NEVER be
irritated at a false report; they are more than happy to come over and
check out any situation.

++ Keep your car doors locked if they're in your driveway or on the
street, and do not leave anything of value in the car.

++ When you're home, make it noticeable. Open your blinds and keep an
eye out for suspicious activity on the street. Watch your neighbors
yards. Spend time out in your front yard, or with your neighbors, or
out and about walking on the streets. The more visible residents are
in the neighborhood, the less of an attractive/easy target it will
appear to thieves.

++ If you are home and a solicitor rings the doorbell, don't ignore it
and pretend you are not home. This is often how thieves case a house
(ring the bell, and if there's no response, go around back to break
in; you don't want them breaking in at all--but especially when you
are home!). So if you don't want to open the door, at least talk
through the door loudly, letting them know "I am not interested." If
you have a solicitor come to your door who seems like they might just
be casing the neighborhood, report it to the police immediately.