Vehicle & Residential Burglary Prevention Tips
Media Advisory
Novato Police Department
Adam McGill, Chief of Police
Vehicle & Residential Burglary Prevention Tips
For Immediate Release: January 11, 2017
Contact: Lt. Michael Howard, (415) 897-4361
Novato, CA – As we begin the new year, the Novato Police Department would like to offer some security tips community members can exercise to help safeguard their home and automobiles from theft. In 2016, there were 189 incidents of auto burglaries reported in Novato compared to 164 incidents in 2015. There were 103 incidents of residential burglaries reported in 2016 compared to 128 reported in 2015. Below are some home safety and burglary prevention tips to remember:
Home Interior
• Avoid storing valuable in obvious areas such as a master bedroom closet, nightstand, or dresser.
• Consider investing in a safe to properly store valuables. Anchor the safe to prevent it from being easily carried away with contents inside.
Home Exterior
• Think about C.P.T.E.D – Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design – concepts for your property, i.e., installing lighting timers for when the home is vacant, maintaining proper fencing and limiting the overgrowth of trees. For more information about C.P.T.E.D., we suggest navigating to the following link - http://www.popcenter.org/tools/cpted/PDFs/NCPC.pdf
• Always lock all doors and windows. Consider secondary reinforcements for windows and sliding doors.
Take Action
• Get to know your neighbors. While on vacation, pick up mail and newspapers and offer to park your car in their driveway. Ask them to return the favor and keep open lines of communication.
• Make sure your children understand safety rules for answering the telephone or front door. Consider investing in a surveillance system – you can register your cameras with the police department.
Vehicle Safety
• Close and lock all windows and doors and do not leave valuables in plain sight. Never leave your key in the vehicle.
• Park your car in a well-lit area. If you have a garage, use it.
• Consider installing an anti-theft device such as an immobilizer, alarm, or brake locks.
Remember, report any and all suspicious activity to the police department. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Novato Police Department (415) 897-4361 at any time.
Address/Location
Novato Police, CA
909 Machin Ave
Novato, CA 94945
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 415-897-4361
TEXT-A-TIP - Text TIP NOVATO followed by your message, to 888777