Protect Yourself from Home Burglaries
 The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office extends a warning
to residents in Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Edina, St. Louis Park,
Bloomington and the neighboring communities about a recent home burglary trend.
The
Sheriff’s Office has analyzed information from dozens of home burglaries that
show a recent spike in several communities in Hennepin County. The thieves in
the recent home break-ins appear to be gaining access into homes from attached
garages.
Based
on reports from several home burglaries, it appears the thieves will do one of
the following:
- Remove garage door openers from vehicles parked in
driveways (unlocked vehicles and locked vehicles) or open garage doors
using a vehicle’s built-in home-link transmitter
- Enter a garage though an already open garage door
- Kick-in an exterior garage service door
Once
the burglars have access to the garage, they will enter the home through the
interior garage access door.
These
types of home break-ins have been reported at all times of day and night, and
both when individuals are home and away.
Once
the thieves have access to a home, they will target small, yet highly valuable
items such as cash, wallets, purses, and jewelry. In several instances,
homeowners did not initially realize they had been the target of a home
burglary due to the lack of evidence of a forced entry.
Tips
to avoid becoming a target of home burglary:
- Always lock your vehicles when parked in a driveway or
garage
- Protect your vehicles with an anti-theft device if not
already equipped with one
- Secure your garage door openers in your house when
possible
- Do not leave your garage door openers visible in your
vehicles
- Close your garage doors when not home or when the
garage is not in plain view
- Lock exterior service doors to garages – reinforce
service doors with security bars or deadbolts if possible
- Lock interior access doors that lead into houses –
reinforce access doors with deadbolts if possible
- Lock home entry doors when you are not home
Partner
with us to fight crime
Tipsters
are encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office with information concerning the
whereabouts of fugitives by calling 1-888-988-TIPS.
For
anonymous tips, you may choose from three different ways to submit tip
information.
-
Submit an online form – which can be found at www.hennepinsheriff.org.
-
Text us at 847 411 – begin your message with the
keyword HCSOTip and then continue entering your tip.
-
Download an app for iPhones or android phones.
The apps can be located by searching for “HCSOTip” or “Hennepin.” Clicking
on the app will bring up a tip form that you fill to provide information.
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