Columbia Citizens

A neighbor near 50th and Genesee was burglarized last Friday morning 4/11/08 around 10:40 am. They broke into a very small window in the backyard,these neighbors have a privacy fence, and I assume the burglars felt they wouldn't be seen.

We have had many "door knockers" around in recent weeks, magazine sellers, people wanting to sell siding, energy audits, etc. As Mark Solomon, our public safety officer, advises, if anyone comes knocking DO let them know you are home, they are probably "casing" the neighborhood for those who are not home. If you are at home during the day, do your neighbors a favor and ask unfamiliar people (esp. teens during the school hours) if they are looking for something—this lets them know you are watching. Let door knockers know you have an "active neighborhood block watch" If you don't have a block watch create one and the first thing you should do is create a phone tree, where your neighbors can reach you to report suspicious activity around your house; i.e, is that a friend visiting or should there be someone unfamiliar lurking around your house?

BTW the neighbors did have an alarm but the burglars were fast, they look for small items like digital cameras, laptops, anything they can fit into a backpack. Keep your windows covered during the day if you are going to leave things like that laying around or pick them up when you are away. They only entice these criminals. Engrave your Driver's License # on items, but be aware that even if a suspect is found with your items proving that they stole them is next to impossible.

We were hit on Nov 8, 2008 near Ferdinand and 47th. They broke in through a window and took whatever they could find. Keep your valuables safe, lock your doors, and get an alarm. Keep an eye out for suspicious behavior. There is no place in our neighborhood for this.