Bloomington Police Reminds Citizens To "Lock It Or Lose It"

Last updated on Friday, March 11, 2016

(BLOOMINGTON) - Spring break is right around the corner and the Bloomington Police Department would like to remind all of the citizens of Bloomington to “Lock It or Lose It”.

March 14th is the beginning of Spring Break for all of the schools in Monroe County.

Traditionally warmer weather and people leaving for vacation have left an opportunity for criminals to take advantage of students and longtime residents who forget to lock the doors on their homes and vehicles. In 2015, 45.5% of all thefts from vehicle happened to cars that were left unlocked. 29.2% of all burglaries were to unlocked residences. There are a number of steps that can be taken to combat this problem.

The Bloomington Police Department will be stepping up patrols in neighborhoods that traditionally see a rise in thefts during the break. The additional patrols will attempt to deter criminals, but the patrols need citizen's help to succeed. By following these simple steps you can help keep your own property and your neighborhood safe.

Lock your doors. By locking the doors to your residences and vehicles you will deter thefts and keep criminals from returning time and again for "easy pickings"
Close your blinds and curtains. When a criminal cannot see inside the residence they don't know if the crime is worth the risk.
Put your lights on timers. Timers that turn lights on and off can give the illusion that someone is home and makes the residence a much less likely target.
Stop your mail. Have the postal service hold your mail while you are on vacation. A pile of mail on the front porch or in the mailbox can tell a criminal that no one is home.
Outside lights on Motion Sensors or Dusk to Dawn Sensors. Lighting up the outside of your residence will make it harder for criminals to access your home without someone else seeing

If you observe any suspicious activity in your neighborhood don't hesitate to call 911 and report it.

1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com

Click here to go back to previous page