During the past few months, we have experienced an increase in the number of burglaries to sheds. Items taken vary but generally consist of items such as lawn mowers, snow blowers, leaf blowers, and other power tools. Most of the sheds had the locks cut off with bolt cutters. The Rahway Police Department Community Relations Office would like to offer the following suggestions to help safeguard your property:
- If possible, store items of value in the basement of your house.
- Lock the shed with a heavy lock, and make sure to lock it! (Don’t just leave the lock dangling, or partly open.)
- Lock the gate to the yard if your yard is fenced in.
- Install motion detector lights around your property, especially near entrances to the yard and to the shed / garage. These lights should be situated high enough so that the bulbs are not within easy reaching distance from the ground (i.e., can’t easily unscrew bulbs without a ladder).
- Do not allow shrubs/bushes to become overgrown, which may make it more difficult to see someone that does not belong on your property.
- Talk to your neighbors! They can provide an extra set of eyes and ears when you’re not at home!
- If you see someone suspicious, call the police immediately! Do not confront the person, but do not wait to call. If possible, try to get a good description (height, weight, hair color, clothing color, vehicle license plate, make, and model, and direction of flight.)
For more information, please contact the Rahway Police Department Community Relations Office, at 732/ 669-3612.