According to the Police, “Criminals have been portraying utility workers, surveyors, and contractors and engaging in distraction burglaries around Nassau County.” While one criminal distracts a homeowner in a conversation, accomplices burglarize the home and leave unnoticed.
Compared with wintertime burglaries, criminals have an easier time of breaking into a home in the warmer months, because homeowners leave windows, doors, and garages wide open in a virtual “invitation to a potential thief.”
Police advise homeowners to take the following simple precautions:
- Make sure your doors and windows are locked even when you are at home.
- Activate your home burglar alarm system every time you leave your house even, if it’s for a short period of time.
- Lock valuables in a safe and don’t leave cash and jewelry in a conspicuous place such as the bedrooms, kitchen, or counter.
Call the utility company (the phone number is usually on the ID) to verify the person’s identification. Make sure you have the person wait outside behind a locked door while you do this. A legitimate utility company worker won’t mind waiting while you verify their employment information. The utility company will be able to tell you whether the person is an employee and whether they’ve dispatched a service call to your home.
Most importantly, if you have any concerns, don’t open the door and call 911. The police will not mind taking a report from you even if it turns out to be unwarranted.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING.