The Willow Glen Resident

Council offers tips after last summer's rash of burglaries

By Paneet Jain

As families begin packing their suitcases and anticipating their summer vacations, there are others who are also wishing that the family get on its way, leaving the house open for a less-than-hospitable visit.

Each year more homes across the country are burglarized during the traditional summer-vacation months than at any other time of the year. And while San Jose Police Department spokesman John Carillo says burglaries in Willow Glen have not increased significantly in the past few months, there was a rash of burglaries in the area in July and August of last year.

The Burglary Prevention Council, a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of residential burglaries, estimates that a quarter of all burglars gain access to homes through unlocked windows and doors. As Carillo says, "Keep in mind that at nighttime, with the warm weather, there is an increase of occupied burglaries," in which people are in the houses being robbed.

But keeping doors and windows locked may not be enough to deter burglars.

"Many people are careful to reschedule appointments or pack an extra toothbrush before leaving for a trip, but sometimes they forget about what they're leaving behind," said Mike Bruening, executive director of the Burglary Prevention Council. "Planning a vacation should naturally turn our thoughts to taking precautions against a possible break-in."

According to Bruening, the best way to fool burglars is to create an illusion that someone is always at home. The Burglary Prevention Council suggests the following home-security measures:

* Keep some window shades and blinds up and curtains open to maintain a normal appearance;

* Have newspaper and mail delivery stopped, or have a neighbor remove them along with advertising fliers that may accumulate;

* Ask a neighbor to use your garbage cans while you are away;

* Turn the telephone-ringer volume down;

* Remove answering machine messages daily, and don't indicate in your outgoing message that you are away or on vacation;

* Keep easily identifiable valuables away from your windows;

* Install exterior lights--with motion-sensitive capabilities, if possible;

* Make sure lights are mounted out of reach, so burglars can't unscrew bulbs;

* Place timers on indoor lights and appliances such as radios and televisions, and set timers to switch on and off randomly during the day;

* Arrange to have any outdoor landscaping work continue;

* Leave an automobile parked in your driveway, or have someone else periodically park a vehicle there. This vehicle may also prevent easy access to a garage;

* Ask police to step up patrols in your neighborhood;

* Ask a neighborhood to keep a watch over your house; and

* When traveling through airports, do not display luggage ID tags with home addresses on the outside of bags and suitcases. Use a business address if possible.

In addition to these precautionary steps, Willow Glen residents can call the police at 277-4631 to let them know they are leaving town and would like safety checks of their house.

The city of San Jose has also taken steps to reduce the rates of robberies and burglaries. Last year a citywide curfew was established in hopes of reducing crimes committed by or against juveniles.

For teenagers under age 16, the curfew is in effect from 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.; the curfew for 17-year-olds is from midnight to 5 a.m.

Since the curfew has been in effect, Carillo says, the city's juvenile-crime rate has dropped 42 percent.

"Willow Glen is a very safe area," he adds, "and it is my belief that the residents are safe."

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