Edmonds Burglary Epidemic: How to Prevent Yourself From Being a Victim

On Thursday, Edmonds Patch linked to a story, first reported by Edmonds KOMO, that the Edmonds Police Department had reported that local burglary rates are on a steady increase. In the last two months alone, there have been more than 200 commercial and residential burglaries in the Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace areas.

Edmonds alone has had 39 burglaries reported between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30.

Of particular concern, say Edmonds PD spokesman Don Anderson, is the increase in residential burglaries and the potential of those numbers climbing during the holiday season when many homes are filled with gifts or left unoccupied.

Anderson said that a common theme in residential burglaries is a suspect’s attempts to assure that the home is unoccupied before breaking in. It’s common for a suspect to ring the door bell or knock on the front door and, if hearing no reply, to go to a more secluded part of the house and force entry through a door or window.

The Edmonds PD says that if someone knocks on your door, you should do something to make sure whoever is knocking knows someone is home, whether choosing to answer the door or not.

“If you do answer the door for someone and they do not appear to have a legitimate reason for being there,” said Anderson, “call 911 and report this, providing as much detail as you can about the subject and any vehicles that they may be associated with. The most effective tool the police have in thwarting home burglaries is the alert homeowner reporting suspicious persons or activities in their neighborhoods.”

The Edmonds Police Department recommends that, before leaving on a holiday vacation or trip, be sure to remember the following:

• Avoid advertising, especially in front of strangers, that you will be leaving home for the holidays (this includes social media sites).
• If available, use the phone company’s call forwarding to forward all your calls.
• Suspend newspaper deliveries and have your mail held at the post office.
• Have a trusted neighbor watch your home while you are gone.
• Make sure your home looks occupied while you are away and make it difficult to break in.
• Have a neighbor park their car in your driveway.
• Use timers on your lights.

Tips at home:

• Keep the outside of your home well-lighted, with doors locked and window curtains closed.
• Do not display gifts beneath the Christmas tree that can be seen from windows or doors.
• After the holidays, do not advertise gifts received by leaving boxes for the garbage collection. Instead, destroy or flatten for closure in a recycle bin.