After an uptick in residential burglaries the past several months, Naperville residents were eager to discuss the latest topic in the Safer Naper campaign, burglary prevention.
“I live in Carillon and we’ve had at least one, maybe two burglaries in that subdivision in probably the last year,” said Naperville resident Bob Jackson. “So I was just interested in what information the police were going to give out as far as preventing that is concerned.
Crime Prevention Specialist Julie Smith gave several tips to help residents deter criminals from targeting their house.
“Exterior illumination is so important,” said Smith. “This probably is the number one deterrent for criminal activity because, as I mentioned, criminals don’t like to be seen and identified. They’re looking for that easy target.”
Other preventative measures include keeping doors and windows locked, even when gone for just a short time; keeping trees and shrubbery trimmed, especially near windows and doors; and not posting on social media that you will be out of town.
Smith said spring and summer usually mean an increase in attempted burglaries and that residents should not be afraid to call 9-1-1 to report suspicious activity.
Naperville News 17’s Casey Krajewski reports.
