Residential Burglaries Increase, Police Encourage Security

Darien police are encouraging residents to secure their homes and watch for any suspicious activity following an uptick in residential burglaries over the past couple of months. 

The Darien Police Department responded to four residential burglaries in August and another five in September, according to a news release issued Wednesday. 

Chief Ernest Brown said in the release that there is no pattern to the locations of the burglaries, which include the: 

• 1900 block of 72nd
• 7100 block of Exner
  
• 1100 block of Foxtail Ct
  
• 400 block of 70th
  
• 3400 block of Gilbert
  
• 3300 block of Brewer
  
• 1600 block of Old Oaks
  
• 7700 block of Stratford
  
• 1300 block of Marco
  

READ MORE: Police Blotter: Ruse Burglary Reported in Darien

The incidents range from late morning to early afternoon, and late evening with a majority of the reports occurring after 4 p.m. Residents were home in two of the ruse burglaries. 

One incident was an attempt burglary, however the offender(s) fled after the home alarm activated; no entry was gained. Garage doors were left open in two cases. Forced entry was reported in five cases. An offender has been identified in one burglary, and is not related to any of the other burglaries. Charges are pending in that incident. 

"We would encourage residents to follow good security practices, including making sure doors and windows are locked before leaving, adding timers to interior lights that can be set to turn on as evening lighting diminishes and leaving exterior porch and garage lights on to deter potential criminals," Brown said in the release. 

He added that residents shouldn't open doors to strangers, and that storm doors should also be locked. "If you need to open your front door to talk, the locked storm door will add a layer of protection," Brown said. 

The rest of the release states:

The Darien Police would also encourage residents to dial 911 if they notice anything suspicious in your neighborhood. This can include vehicles that do not look familiar to the neighborhood or suspicious people walking around. 

Ruse burglaries typically target elderly residents. The offender will knock on the victims door and identify themselves as a utility worker, a landscaper, a new resident to the neighborhood, or possibly a construction worker. The offender will give some story of needing to get the homeowner outside, to a room away from the front door, or to the basement. 

Once the offender has distracted the homeowner, a second offender will enter the home and steal money or jewelry. The offenders will park their vehicle close to the garage to obstruct view of license plate or description of vehicle. 

These are the types of suspicious activity that the Darien Police Department would want to receive immediate notice on. 

We are encouraging residents to talk with their neighbors to pass on this information. Some residents may not access the Darien cable channel, Internet for online news, or read newspapers. 

Residents can access police incidents and crime mapping through RaidsOnline at http://www.raidsonline.com.