WACO, Texas — Theft and burglaries have been on the rise this past year which has law enforcement reminding the community to lock up their belongings.
“Theft is a crime of opportunity," said Public Information Officer Cierra Shipley, Waco Police Department.
"So if a criminal sees something that they want and they see the opportunity to take it, then they will, so don’t give them that opportunity,”
In 2021, theft and burglaries went up by 15 percent compared to 2020.
The majority of those incidents include porch pirates.
“Especially those big packages, those can be really intriguing to criminals," said Shipley.
"If you do have packages coming to the house, make sure that you are home or about to be home, maybe even have those packages picked up at the UPS store,”
According to Shipley, it’s important to keep your home secure to avoid any break-ins.
“Simple things, like bushes. Don’t go above and block the windows, keep those bushes low," she added.
"Make sure you have the proper locks on your doors. Both on your garage and on your door,”
And in general, it is a good idea to write down serial numbers, take pictures of valuables and document your items in case of theft.
And in hopes of not seeing another increase of burglaries or theft in 2022, Waco PDwill be hosting a crime prevention summit on February 19th, inviting everyone to learn how to prevent becoming a victim of a crime.
“This is going to bring the community together and let them talk to different security providers in the area about how they can help secure their home or even their person,” Shipley said.
According to Shipley, the best thing you can do is to be aware of your surroundings be sure to lock up your valuables.
