With garage burglaries spiking across Minneapolis, follow these tips to protect your property
MINNEAPOLIS – Garage burglaries are on the rise across the city of Minneapolis, and crime prevention officials are urging residents to take precautions to safeguard their possessions.
Last week, Minneapolis police announced that there had been 15 garage burglaries in the 3rd Precinct alone.
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Police say unlocked service doors have been the main point of entry for burglars in most cases, while garage door remotes left in unlocked vehicles outside are also a common route for criminals.
Thieves are generally targeting bicycles, tools, and lawn equipment stored inside.
Police have these tips to prevent burglaries and related property theft:
* Keep your garage locked, and find ways to better secure valuable items inside. For instance, expensive bicycles should be locked up to something in the garage that's unmovable – or it should just be stored inside your residential space.
* Lock your vehicle's doors, and try to take your garage remote with you.
* Lock your service door with a deadbolt that has a 6-inch strike plate, with 3-inch screws drilled into the door's frame.
* Let your neighbors know about the increase in burglaries, and watch out for each other.
* Call 911 if you see people looking into parked vehicles in alley driveways, trying to open vehicle doors, peeking into garage windows, and hovering around service doors.
* Document serial numbers of all expensive items stored in your garage. If an item doesn't have a serial number, etch your own marking on it to make it easily identifiable if it's stolen or goes missing.
* Consider adding more lighting in your alley and around your property, as well as security cameras.
