Police warn about burglars
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By Thomas Geyer | Monday, December 18, 2006 |
Click here to listen to message
Davenport police are using an automated telephone message system to inform eastside residents about a rash of burglaries in the area.
More than 5,000 phone calls have gone out to eastside homes warning residents about the burglaries and asking them to report anything suspicious.
Even some residents on Bettendorf’s west side have received a call.
“The calls began going out at 5 p.m. Thursday,” said Davenport Police Cpl. Mark Berger, whose voice is on the recording. “They ended at 8:01 p.m.”
Out of 5,151 calls made, about 51 percent, or 2,628 of the calls, were received by people or possibly answering machines, he said.
“That puts more eyes out there to help us catch the burglars,” Berger said. “People are aware of what is going on now, and that helps us.”
The message sent was: “This is an alert from the Davenport Police Department. It is intended for information purposes only. A number of burglaries have occurred in your area. We remind everyone to lock the doors of vehicles, garages and homes even when present. Unknown individuals have entered homes and removed purses, alcohol and other small items of value. If anything of a suspicious nature is observed, please call 911 to report the activity. Thank you.”
Bettendorf Police Chief Phil Redington said that some residents on the west side of his city got calls, too.
While Bettendorf does not use the technology, Redington said that there have been burglaries on Bettendorf’s west side over the past couple of months.
Davenport Police Chief Mike Bladel said that a burglary trend clearly was noticed and mapped on the east and northeast side of the city, so the message was sent.
But a similar message was sent to the west side of Davenport, too, he added, because there have been a rash burglaries at new home construction sites.
Berger said that the system has 20 phone lines. The Public Works Department shares the cost with police. Public Works sometimes sends messages about keeping cars off snow routes or a garbage schedule changes.
All Berger has to do is select the area on the map he wants to target. Once that is done, the computer begins calling all the listed phone numbers of the residents and if he wants, the businesses, within that radius.
“I can mark out a three-block area or a five-mile radius if I want to,” he said, adding that the area he marks can be of any shape and distance because the system is very adaptive.
“It just calls the listed phone numbers,” Berger said. The database is updated about every six months.
The city has had this technology for a while, but officials decided to use it carefully, he added.
“We don’t want to overuse it because then people will stop listening to the messages,” Berger said.
Redington said that the burglaries are occurring for a couple of reasons.
“It’s that time of year,” he said, adding that burglars believe there are more valuables in homes at Christmastime.
Also, this time of year it gets dark sooner, and criminals try to take advantage of that, he said. And because it gets dark sooner, he added, “there are fewer people outside to watch what is going on around the neighborhood.”
People should call 911 immediately if they suspect there might be a burglar in the neighborhood, he said.
Thomas Geyser can be contacted at (563) 383-2328 or tgeyer@qctimes.com.
Tips to keep your home safe
Davenport Police Cpl. Mark Berger said that to help discourage burglaries to a home or business, people should just use common sense.
First, lock the doors of homes and vehicles and keep garages closed, he said. Also, make sure windows are closed and secured.
“Make sure when your gone, leave some lights on,” he added. “Make it look like somebody is home. Even leave a radio or TV going.”
Another key tip is to make sure to write down the serial numbers of electronic devices, such as television sets, DVD and VCR players, computers, microwave ovens and anything else of value.
“Without the serial numbers the criminals can just pawn off, for example a Sony DVD player, and there is no way for us to identify it,” Berger said. “How many DVD players did Sony make last year? How many were sold here? Thousands.”
Also, keep a detailed list of valuables such as rings and vases and china and family silver, along with photos. All of this helps police find the items and get them back to their rightful owner.
Above all, pay attention to what is going on around the neighborhood. If there is something out of place or a suspicious person, call the police, Berger said. “We can always come to check it out, and if they leave before we get there, people can call us and let us know that, too.
“But don’t be paranoid,” he said. “Simply be observant.”
And if upon arriving at home or work and a window is broken or a door is ajar, he said, “don’t go in. You don’t want to corner somebody. Call the police.”
— Thomas Geyer
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