Police Remind Residents To Be Vigilant Of Neighborhood Activity
Officers Execute Numerous Initiatives To Address Concerns
Boston Police report that from January 1-February 28, 2011, police have received 291 reports of residential breaking and entering incidents citywide compared to 355 incidents for the same time period in 2010. Currently the city is experiencing an 18% decrease in residential break-ins.
The total number of residential breaking and entering incidents in 2009 is 2282 compared to 2846 in 2010, which is a 24% increase.
The Boston Police Department continues to focus on the following initiatives to address concerns relative to residential break-ins. Officers also would like to take this opportunity to offer the community safety tips and prevention information.
Boston Police Initiatives Include:
- Residential break-in reports are analyzed by our Intelligence Center (BRIC) daily and officers are deployed to areas of concern.
- The BRIC has a full-time analyst dedicated to monitoring and analyzing residential break-ins.
- Detectives respond to each incident and evaluate for print and DNA evidence at the premises.
- Detectives canvass the building for possible witnesses, security footage etc.
- Detectives and Uniformed officers aggressively attempt to apprehend any persons wanted for B&E.
- Detectives work closely with local management companies to ensure that they have taken the necessary safety steps to properly secure buildings such as alarms on fire escapes etc.
- Detectives assigned to days attend arraignments of person arrested for B&E and attempt to have sufficient bail imposed and probation or parole revoked if possible.
- Community Service Officers, sometimes with the assistance of local youth, frequently distribute awareness bulletins to residents which offer prevention information.
- Officers offer complimentary home security analysis for all community members.
- Officers work closely with Court Probation to identify known B&E suspect that are active or just off probation for B&E’s. If active on probation these suspects will be visited to make sure they are in compliance of the conditions of probation. All identified suspects will be looked at for the past B&E’s on the district
- Walking beats are frequently assigned to areas identified as experiencing B&E incidents in an effort to increase uniform visibility.
- BPD has created a database of known B&E suspects for officers use in patrol vehicles.
- Community Service Officers continue to advise residents at all the community meetings to call 911 for suspicious individuals in and around their neighborhood.
- CSO and Captain have advised College’s to issue alerts to their students and provide them with tips on target hardening their reside
- Boston Police Districts frequently share best practices with one another to put forth the most effective initiatives citywide.
Prevention Tips:
- Use sturdy doors.
- Solid wooden doors or doors reinforced with steel offer much more protection than hollow core wooden doors.
- Use safe locks. Adding quality deadbolt locks is a great idea because they can’t be ‘popped’ the way spring-latch locks can.
- Don ‘t buzz people into the building without knowing who they are
- Thieves use many disguises and some- pose as someone that they are not.
- Strangers should be questioned as to their business in a building. This can be done in a polite way and is essential.
- Lock your windows.
- When you are not at home, always lock your first floor windows.
- In a single family home or a multi-dwelling building, the outer hallway door should be locked. If a thief has access to the inner hallway, he now has a cover from the public’s eye and extra time to break through the front door without being noticed.
- Introduce yourself to your neighbor. Consider having a neighbor or friend watch your home when you’re on vacation.
- Call 911 to report any suspicious activity in your neighborhood
- Call your local district station and request a home security analysis.
Contact Information:
Any community member interested in receiving a complimentary home security analysis from officers can schedule an appointment by calling your local district station. District Station contact information is located at BPDNews.com.
Community members with information on residential break-ins is encouraged to contact the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1(800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department wants to assure community members that the department is only interested in what you now, not who you are.