Police step up Winter Break burglary prevention
Last year, the police responded to 71 holiday burglaries.
Published Dec. 10, 2010
Stop day has passed, finals are next week and soon many students will start leaving Columbia for the holidays, leaving behind belongings vulnerable in their college residences.
The MU and Columbia Police departments are stepping up enforcement around Columbia to help ensure students' things remain safe and sound in their homes.
"Some of the things we're going to do are just some extra duty things for officers who are off duty," CPD spokeswoman Jill Wieneke said. "They can come in and work overtime doing proactive burglary patrol."
CPD is also coordinating with the Boone County Sheriff's Department to identify repeat offenders, utilizing police volunteers as well as driving through and monitoring neighborhoods in both marked and unmarked vehicles.
"It's a detailed plan integrating a lot of different resources at the department," Wieneke said.
Residence halls will also be monitored of by both MUPD and CPD.
"We just work with Res. Life," MUPD Capt. Brian Weimer said. "We try to watch the areas and look for problems and issues."
The extra steps CPD is taking begin today with the increase in patrols and force, Wieneke said.
"We all know the mass exits will happen (next) Thursday and Friday," Wieneke said. "By Sunday at least everyone is gone. We're up on your guys' schedules. Efforts start this Friday and continue the entire break."
Wieneke said the action begins with the students making sure their possessions are secure in the first place.
"It really helps when people take really small steps to prevent these incidents from happening," she said.
Students should make sure they lock their doors, lock their belongings in closets and take valuables home with them to make their property more secure, Weimer said.
Wieneke said homes are the most vulnerable over break because, not only will residents of certain homes be gone, but residents all around may be gone as well.
"There's not a lot of people home, and there may not be anyone home within three or four houses," Wieneke said. "They can kick a door, make a really loud entry, and may not be found. Those are the areas we really have to focus on."
Wieneke recommends students secure their apartments, homes and dorms by locking ground floor windows, shutting their blinds and turning on a few lights so the home looks occupied.
She also suggested students take any valuables they can home over break and avoid putting boxes from large purchase items on the curb for trash pick-up.
More information as well as forms to track serial numbers of big-ticket items in student housing can be found on CPD's website.