A number of area residents have reported to their neighbors that their cars have been broken into and that items have been taken from their locked and unlocked garages. But there are few reported incidents on the St. Paul Police Department crime report website for the communities of St. Anthony Park and Como Park.
The police department did issue a press release on July 25 stating an increase in garage burglaries throughout western St Paul has prompted the St. Paul Police Department to begin notifying residents of unsecured garage doors and garage number code violations that they discover during routine patrols. A notice will be left on the property with recommendations for securing the garage and reminding residents that City Code Sec 71.01 requires that house numbers be displayed on garages.
If you want to curb crime in your neighborhood, report all incidents to the police and follow these tips from the St. Paul Police Department:
* Don’t leave objects of value in plain view.
* Consider covering open windows in garages
* Place valuables in car trunk before you reach your destination (thieves may be watching).
* Lock your car doors when you are away.
* Close garage doors and lock them.
* Provide extra security for vulnerable targets (such as bicycles and power tools) inside the garage.
* Alert police to suspicious people loitering in alleys, near cars or garages.
* Record serial numbers of purchased items to aid in their recovery, in the event that they are stolen.
To stay updated to crimes committed in your area, click on “Crime Reports” at the bottom of the Park Bugle web page. That will lead you to links for the St. Paul Police Department’s district crime reports and the St. Anthony Police Department’s reports for the cities of Falcon Heights and Lauderdale.
