Protect yourself, protect your belongings

Make your home a “hard target” with a few simple measures. It is common to see a modest increase in burglaries in the springtime. While the incidence of this crime is comparable to other similarly populated areas in Germany, burglaries are one of the most commonly committed crimes and remains a focus area for local and military police.

A recent number of burglaries are affecting local national and U.S. occupied households. Burglars are looking for easy entry into a house in order to steal easily removed high-value items.

During the second week of April there were 11 larcenies of private and government property involving the SOFA-status population. Many of these cases can be attributed to a simple slip of forgetting to lock a car door or latching the dead bolt on the front door of a residence.

Good security habits must be practiced on a daily basis in order to protect you and your family. These habits cost nothing, only the knowledge and willingness to stay safe.

• Keeping all doors and windows locked, whether you leave your house or are going to bed, is a simple prevention. This could include keeping your first floor rollladens closed.

• Concealing all valuable items from plain sight in your yard or vehicle will make you less of a target. Desirable items in public view can give the thief a reason and invitation to take them.

• Stay aware and vigilant of your surroundings, and do not hesitate to call 1-1-2 with the descriptions of suspicious people or vehicles.

• Do not make yourself and home predictable. After entering your house, burglars anticipate your keys hanging by your front door. Place them in a less predictable location.

• Pre-plan for vacation or TDY by having your mail and newspapers stopped or having a neighbor pick them up.

• Leave inside lights on timers to create the impression that your house is occupied.

• Have a lawn service or neighbor mow your lawn.

• Always keep a cell phone in your bedroom or readily accessible in case of an emergency.

Additional preventative measures you can take may include cheap but effective alarm security products that can be purchased for less than $30.

• A simple door security bar can be used on sliding and hinged doors to prevent them from being pushed open or pried open.

• An easy-to-install, battery powered wireless door alarm with programmable keypad is another example. You can set the alarm whether you are leaving or staying at home. These types of products can put out a 120 decibel alert alarm when the door is opened.

• Another type of wireless product for your door is a motion alarm with remote that is equipped with a portable controller for arming and disarming that detects motion up to 20 feet.

Although these exact products may not be available at the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center, similar ones are. The products mentioned above can be found and purchased with a simple Internet search.

Crime trends show intruders do not discriminate between Americans and local nationals as targets. Instead, criminals take advantage of the least prepared and easiest targets.

Items that are of high interest are portable electronics, such as iPads, GPS, laptops, cameras and cell phones that are not secure and easily accessible in your house or visible in your vehicle.

Many pieces of government property, such as common access cards, government travel cards, issued military gear and government issued cell phones, are taken more frequently because of their visibility to the general public when left in plain sight.

If you find yourself in a situation with an unwanted stranger in your house, avoid confrontation by hiding or exiting the house, if possible, and call 1-1-2 immediately.

If you cannot avoid a confrontation, you are allowed by law to defend yourself, your family and your property with lowest reasonable level of force necessary to escape the situation.

The Westpfalz Police Headquarters offers courtesy crime prevention home inspections to the local population, including Americans.

To schedule an appointment for a courtesy inspection of your residence and to receive additional advice on security features you could improve within your home, call the Polizei’s Crime Prevention Program officer at 0631-369-1444.

REPORT SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR:
Anyone can report suspicious behavior. In an emergency, call 1-1-2 — the Germany-wide emergency contact number. You can also call 1-1-0 from DSN phones on Army kasernes. You may also contact security forces at 06371-47-2050 (Ramstein) or 0631-536-6060 (Vogelweh and other KMC bases/off base with German speaker).

AFOSI has a 24-hour tip line available at 0171-745-5382 or www.osi.af.mil.

Anyone can view the latest KMC force protection or crime prevention topics or post question or concerns on the Neighborhood Watch Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kmcneighborhoodwatch.