Edition No. 18

Burglary Is Bad News
What You Can Do To Prevent It From Happening To You

In 1998, 1,720 residential burglaries were committed in Lexington, and over $1.2 million dollars worth of personal belongings were stolen by these burglars. "Residential" is defined as a place where someone eats and sleeps. Detached garages and out-buildings are not considered residential.

In addition to the loss of personal items, many of which are not replaceable, victims of burglary frequently suffer feelings of personal violation and invasion of their privacy. Many are fearful that the burglar will return, and no longer feel safe and secure in their own homes.

Did you know that....

In the United States, a residential burglary occurs every 10 seconds?

In Lexington during 1998, a residential burglary occurred every 5 hours?

In Lexington during 1998, an average of $730 dollars worth of personal belongings were stolen in every burglary?

Of the burglaries which occurred in Lexington during 1998:

33% took place during the day

25% took place at night

42% of the homeowners did not know the time of the burglary

While no home is ever 100 percent theft-proof, there are a number of steps that a homeowner can take to reduce the chances of a break-in. Most of them are not costly or time consuming. The most important thing to remember is that burglars look for easy opportunities, and that they are turned away by three main deterrents:

Obstacles - Burglars want to get in and out fast! Anything that can slow them down becomes an automatic deterrent. So lock your doors and windows.

Noise - Anything that creates noise, whether a dog or an alarm, normally causes burglars to flee.

Light - Burglars like to stay hidden. Most will not approach a well-lit area.

Is Your Home Vulnerable to a Burglar?

Go through this Home Security Checklist and find out . . .

Exterior Doors:

Are all of your exterior doors constructed of solid wood? Yes___ No___

Are all of your exterior doors equipped with good quality deadbolt locks?Yes___ No___

Sliding Glass Doors:

Do all of your sliding glass doors have at least one of the following:

Track lock, insertion pin lock, hinged door bar, metal bar or wooden dowel in track?Yes___ No___

Garage Doors:

Do you always close your garage door, even when you are home?Yes___ No___

Windows:

Do you close and lock your windows when they are not in use?Yes___ No___

Are your windows secured with a pin lock, key lock or hex screw window lock?Yes___ No___

Exterior Lighting:

Are the entrances to your home well-lit to enable you to identify visitors at night?Yes___ No___

Do motion sensors control your exterior lighting?Yes___ No___

Do you have flood lights to illuminate exterior sections of your home and property?Yes___ No___

Landscaping:

Are your bushes, trees, and shrubs trimmed so a person can’t hide near a door or window?Yes___ No___

Exterior Entries & Possessions:

Do you lock gates to your yard?Yes___ No___

Are sheds and outdoor buildings locked?Yes___ No___

Are all bicycles, ladders, lawnmowers, etc. either inside or secured to fixed objects?Yes___ No___

Precautions While You Are Away:

Are several lights in your home on automatic timers?Yes___ No___

Do you stop mail and newspaper delivery when you are away from home for extended

periods of time?Yes___ No___

Hopefully all of your answers are yes.

There are many programs and services available to help reduce your chances of being burglarized. If you have any questions about better securing your home, please feel free to contact a Victims' Advocate at our office - (606) 246-2060, or contact the Bureau of Community Services at the Lexington Division of Police - (606) 258-3636).