The Annapolis Police Department sent out a notice this morning advising that residential burglaries have increased this year by 90% in what they term as “Post 15 and 16” which seemingly is the bulk of City Wards 6, 7 and 8. The police department offered tips for residents to minimize the risk and advised that they have increased their presence in these areas.
As we posted earlier in March, burglaries in Annapolis are up over last year, in fact they are up about 90%. Please make sure your windows, doors, and garage doors are locked. If you are away from home, leave lights on inside and consider leaving a radio or television on as well. Call us when you see people in your neighborhood that you don’t recognize. You can call us 24 hours a day at 410-268-4141 or 9-1-1 in an emergency.
We have plainclothes officers in the areas most affected by the increase.
Many of the burglaries are to homes in what we call the 15 and 16 post of the City. This area includes the Eastport peninsula, communities between Hilltop Lane and Forest Drive, and to the city line on Bay Ridge Road. The later two areas have been the most targeted in these burglaries.
When and how are these burglaries occurring?
We’ve seen these burglaries occur both at night and during the day. Most have occurred after a door to the residence was forced open. The vast majority occur when no one is home. Homes that are vacant or where the residents are out of town for a few days are more likely targets. Some homes had signs residents might not be home, like newspapers in the yard or mail in the mailbox.
What are we doing to stop these burglaries?
We are looking at the patterns and focusing staffing to the areas and times we’ve seen burglaries occur. Officers in marked cars are focusing attention on the areas, as well as plain clothes officers in unmarked cars. Our detectives are investigating the burglaries already reported and seeking to identify and charge the suspect(s).
What can you do?
Watch out around your neighborhood. If something doesn’t look right, call us and let us know. You can call us at 410-268-4141 24 hours a day. Talk to your neighbors about what’s going on in your neighborhood. Get connected, by email, phone tree, Facebook, Nextdoor, etc so you can share information with people in your neighborhood. If you are going out of town have your newspaper stopped and your mail held, or ask a trusted neighbor pick it up on a daily basis. If you call 410-268-4141 you can request that officers come and check on your home while you are out of town. You can call Community Services at 410-268-9000 and schedule a home security survey. They’ll come to your home and give you specific ideas that can increase your home security.
Also, investing in a smart garage door opener is also a good idea. Their new technology comes with a lot of features that will help keep your garage safer. You can easily manage who can access your garage and get notifications to your smartphone whenever the garage door is opened or closed. If you need garage door opener installation services in the Annapolis area, contact Severna Garage Door Repair.If you want more specific information about where these burglaries have been occurring go to www.annapolis.gov/police and click on Crime Map. You can also download our Police Mobile App which has a map as well. There is a link to the Police Mobile App on the same page,www.annapolis.gov/police.
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