ROSS TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT
There is a certain peace of mind that comes with having a home. Whether we rent, own, or are still at home with guardians or parents, being able to come home to the safety and security of one’ s dwelling place provides a sense of security unlike anything else. Those who have had their homes entered in cases of burglary usually do not have any such comfort. Victims of burglary most often feel what can be described as a haunting feeling that lingers long after the incident. Some victims have been known to move out of their homes, while others install alarm systems and flood lights. One thing is universal with all victims of residential burglary – not one of them ever feels completely secure in their home again.
The FBI’ s Uniform Crime Reporting( UCR) Program defines burglary as“ the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft.” To classify an offense as a burglary, the use of force to gain entry need not have occurred. The UCR Program has three sub-classifications for burglary: forcible entry, unlawful entry where no force is used, and attempted forcible entry. One can find useful information for prevention at www. burglaryprevention. org.
For the purposes of this writing, we are focusing on one major cause of residential burglary in the USA – COMPLACENCY. More specifically, a belief in“ It doesn’ t happen in this neighborhood”, which leads to leaving the home with windows and doors unlocked. Before the like-minded reader dismisses the remainder of this article, it is suggested one considers the following:
• There is NO community in the USA that is completely safe from home burglaries.
• In 2014, a burglary was reported every 18.2 seconds nationally. That is 1,729,806 reported burglaries.
• Burglaries of residential properties accounted for 73.2 percent of all burglary offenses reported during the same year.
• The majority of homes are entered through unlocked windows and doors, and of all reported burglaries in 2014, force was used less than 7 percent of the time.
• Although incidents are relatively infrequent, here, just like every other community in the North Hills, burglaries do occur in Ross Township.
• Nationally, as well as in our region, the majority of homes are entered during business hours, while residents are at work or away engaged in daytime activities.
There is one very important preventive measure that doesn’ t cost a dime – LOCK YOUR DOORS AND WINDOWS. This is true no matter how safe the neighborhood in which you live. The reason for what might seem excessive to some who don’ t lock their homes takes a bit of insight into the problem, especially in relatively low-crime communities like Ross Township.
Burglars are known to move around in their areas of operation, looking for quiet neighborhoods in which to commit their crimes. A neighborhood that has never experienced the report of a burglary may very well be targeted. This is just the kind of area that provides a criminal with the element of surprise, with multiple unsecured homes that are ripe for the picking. As indicated, investigators often find no forced entry – no broken windows, no damaged doors and no evidence of lock tampering. Typically, area residents are often shocked, because up until the incident, problems in their neighborhood have been few and far between if any at all. The sobering truth of the matter is that while everyone else in the neighborhood starts locking their doors and windows, it is too late for the victims. They will never again feel the same about their homes, once that“ air” of security has been violated.
The news is not all bad. Ross Township is in fact a safe community in which to live. Your police department is on the A-list for crime prevention, as well as crime clearances, with a highly skilled Patrol Division and a top notch Detective Division. However, we feel that any number of burglaries is too many. This is why we are asking that all residents, who may not be as security conscious as needed, please, recognize that we live in ever-changing times, where the days of leaving our homes unlocked are sadly a distant memory.
This mindset should include our vehicles as well. Just like our homes, the cars into which criminals enter are most often unlocked. Nationally, a theft was reported on average every 5.4 seconds in 2014. Many of those were intrusions into automobiles. At times, credit card fraud is linked to such crimes, as victims are known to leave purses and wallets in their unlocked vehicles. When finding credit cards during their crimes, thieves almost always go on shopping sprees at the expense of their victims. Since unsecured homes are potential targets, surely we should give as much security conscious consideration to the vehicles parked outside.
A fact worth repeating is that forced entry occurred in less than 7 percent of all 1,729,806 burglaries that were reported in 2014. This begs the question of how many victims would never have been victims, if they had simply locked their doors and windows!
The Ross Township Police Special Programs Division will be sponsoring or participating in the following events over the summer months:
Tuesday 6 / 14 / 16 7:00PM – Crime Watch Meeting. A question and answer session will take place, followed by a tour of the Police Station and an up close look at a patrol unit.
If available a K-9 Officer will be present for a short demonstration. Event held in the Board of Commissioners Meeting Room at the Municipal Center
Thursday 8 / 4 / 16 7:00PM – Crime Watch Meeting. District Judge Richard Opiela will be present to speak about the duties of the District Courts and his role in the criminal justice and civil litigation systems.
Judge Opiela will explain the function of the Courts, punishments and alternatives after arrest. Event held in the Board of Commissioners Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. oss Township
ROSS TOWNSHIP NEWS
Ross Township | Summer 2016 | icmags. com 47