Capt. Travis Eynon of the Hermiston Police Department offered some tips to keep your home and property safe from prowlers or vandals.
Eynon said that with nicer weather, comes more thieves and vandals.
“No matter how nice your neighborhood is, there are no neighborhoods exempt from crime,” he said. “Be sure and remove your valuables from your vehicles and lock your vehicles up.”
Eynon suggested an outdoor surveillance system can go a long way toward keeping your property safe. For those who already have one, be sure to park your vehicle where it will be captured on video.
“We have had some great leads because of residents owning surveillance systems,” he said. “Some of these systems are more expensive than others, but there are some that are really pretty inexpensive. If you find you have the means to purchase one, I’d recommend it.”
Eynon also said to walk around your property and think like a burglar.
“Look at all your possible access points to your home, do you see a weakness? Somewhere you could gain access if you really wanted to? This is the first step to making sure your property is completely secure,” he said.
Key areas to keep in mind are shrubbery and structures that block the sight of doors and windows.
“These are weaknesses,” said Eynon. “Sometimes you can remove the obstructions and sometimes you just need to fortify those weaknesses a little more. Also, think about adding surveillance to those areas.
“Overall, we are blessed to live in a community with a pretty low crime rate. This doesn’t mean there is no crime. If we all do our own part to make ourselves less of a target, this will assist in lowering the crime rate even more.”
