Burglary can and does happen everywhere. Even a safe city such as Naperville experiences its fair share of theft at homes and businesses. The good news is that burglary is a crime that is highly preventable as long as you are willing to take a few simple steps to protect your property and valuables.
This 630 Naperville Business Forward segment features practical burglary prevention advice from Jim Pacetti a Crime Prevention Specialist with the City of Naperville – Naperville Police Department(NPD). He chats with Kaylin Risvold, President and CEO of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, about simple preventive measures every Naperville resident should take to keep their home and businesses safe.
Follow the 9 PM Routine for burglary prevention
- Remove valuables from vehicles
- Lock vehicle doors
- Close the overhead garage door
- Close and lock all exterior doors
- Turn on the outside lights
Lights, lights, lights
Make sure you are turning on or leaving on exterior lights at your homes and businesses at night for burglary prevention. Motion-activated outdoor lighting can spotlight criminals and increase visibility.
When you are out shopping try to park near lights and in well-lit areas to keep your vehicle and your belongings safe.
Security camera usage in homes and businesses
The Naperville Police Department runs a voluntary camera registration program. The program asks residents and business owners to register the locations of their security cameras with the department. The registration allows detectives to quickly contact camera owners in the crime area to determine if their camera system recorded any part of the incident. The footage can lead to breaks in a case and be crucial in identifying a suspects and/or their vehicle. If you are in interested in becoming a part of the voluntary program contact the Naperville Police Department today.
Do not leave valuables on display and lock your doors & windows
Try to make it difficult for criminals to commit crimes. They want to get in and out of the scene of a crime quickly. So even when you are home, keep your doors, windows, and garage doors locked and use deadbolts whenever possible.
Don’t leave vehicles unattended with the doors unlocked, windows down or the keys in them, even in your garage or driveway. Do not leave items on display in your vehicle- no matter what the value is. Criminals often don’t consider value before smashing a car window or breaking a lock. Make sure you take all your belongings with you when you leave the car. If you can’t take items with you, lock them in the trunk, ideally before you even arrive at your destination.
Naperville’s text to 911 program
If you find yourself in a situation where you cannot call, Naperville’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) accepts emergency texts to 911. Naperville T-Mobile/Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T, customers can text their exact location and the nature of their emergency to 911, and you will receive a response from a dispatcher.
However, whenever possible, the NPD still prefers that citizens call 911, for speed and reliability reasons but understands that the text to 911 option may be helpful for those who cannot call or who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, or are suffering a medical emergency that has rendered them unable to speak.
The Naperville Police Department suggests you follow these steps to text 911 if you are unable to make a call in an emergency: Know your location – Type your exact location as soon as possible.
- Text what you need – Text what emergency help is needed: police, fire, and/or emergency medical.
- Be clear – Send a short message without abbreviations, slang, emojis, photos or video attachments.
- Stay calm – Answer questions and follow instructions from the 911 call taker.