Barb's Farm Community

Warning To BF Residents: Break-Ins Reported

It's that time of year, again, when surrounding communities, as well as Barb's Farm have vehicle and home invasions perpetrated in our communities. The Board was notified of 2 homeowners in our community who had home  break-ins, recently. The incidents were reported to the police, as they should have been.

The NCCPD keeps a record of complaints on crime trends to determine how patrols are dispatched. NCCPD web site has a crime map (current data is Aug - Sept) which shows nothing in Barbs Farm. There was some activity nearby, but not much. That is good news, and hopefully we won't have any other incidents reported that would require NCC police to patrol our community.

Crime Prevention is everyone's business and improves the quality of life for every community and its residents. It requires cooperation by all elements of a community. We can all be the eyes and ears of our community to deter crimes in Barb's Farm.

• Be aware of your surroundings, the people around you and the people coming into the community, each day and night
• Help out neighbors by observing and being aware of any unusual activity around their homes
• If you see something suspicious, say something - notify your neighbor or contact law enforcement immediately
• Describe the event as accurately as possible

During the past 30 days alone, the Delaware State Police and New Castle County Police Department are both experiencing a rash of vehicle break-ins throughout New Castle County, but
specifically in the northern districts. They have received several reports of thefts from unlocked vehicles, throughout New Castle County. Most of these have occurred in residential neighborhoods and often in the victim's driveway. Car break-ins are on the rise and tend to spike this time of year.
Please be aware that many of these are crimes of opportunity that can be prevented. According to NCCPD, there are a number of things residents and drivers can do to deter break-ins. The following tips are offered by their respective departments. It is conceded that some of these tips state the obvious, but the fact remains that these crimes continue to occur and thus prevention is
necessary and these tips will hopefully assist you and better your chances that your car is not the next target.

- Lock your car doors and activate your alarm. This is as simple as it sounds, but it is surprising how much is stolen from cars with unlocked doors. Of course, locked doors do not do
much good if you leave the windows open, so roll up the windows also.

- Remove GPS systems from the dashboard and your garage door opener. Marks left on the
windshield should be wiped off. Vehicle prowlers will break in to steal GPS systems and then sell them at pawn shops or online. Also remove laptops, IPods, IPod accessories, CD's, cell phones or other electronic devices and take them with you or place them out of sight. Suspects will walk by cars looking in the windows for valuables. If they do not see anything, they will move on. If you
do have valuables in your car, they will try to open the door or break a window to gain access. If you've left your garage door opener in the vehicle, they now have better access to your home. So please remove it when your vehicle is not in your garage!

- Do not leave anything of value in the car. The purse or golf clubs that are visible through the window make an inviting target. If you have to leave items in the car, put them out of sight in the trunk. The duffle bags with books inside might not be of significant value to you, but a thief who does not know what is inside might target your car hoping to find checkbooks, credit cards, electronics or other items. Always take these personal items into your home when you park for the evening. Avoid simply throwing a blanket or towel over an item of value as this may entice a thief to target your vehicle to see what is underneath.

- Use safety features if you have them.
Examples of these features include activating your car alarm, removing stereo faceplates and putting steering wheel locking devices in place.

- Park in a well-lit area that is visible to others so suspicious persons could be easily spotted. Avoid parking near dumpsters, woods, large vans or trucks, or anything else that limits your visibility. If your car must be parked in your driveway, make certain you have light in the area. Criminals are distracted by light because they know they may be seen by you or others!

- Park in your garage, if you have one.
Don’t leave your vehicle on the street, in an alley, or on your driveway. If you have to park on a street, avoid dark or isolated areas.

- Lock your car and turn it off even if you step away from it for only a moment. Thefts have occurred while the victim went inside a convenience store and vehicles have been stolen while idling outside of a business. gas station or a residence.

- Don’t leave spare keys in your vehicle. An experienced thief knows all the hiding places. Store
spare keys in your wallet.

- If you are shopping, store your packages in the trunk of the car and not in the backseat where they are easily seen.

- If you drive a pickup truck,
do not leave valuables in the bed of the truck unattended, even for a few minutes.

- If recent purchases are kept in a vehicle, keep the receipt for these goods in a different place so that stolen property can be itemized when reported to police.

-Consult with one’s neighbors and invite them to call 911 should they spot suspicious persons.

- If you are a victim, or observe suspicious activity, notify the New Castle County Police Department at 302-573-2800 (non-emergency number) and make a report or 911 if the crime is in progress.

Although a professional car thief can defeat most security measures and quickly break into and steal a locked vehicle, most vehicle break-ins and thefts are carried out by amateurs who take advantage of the carelessness of drivers in leaving vehicles unlocked, valuables in sight, etc. The tips above will significantly enhance the security of your vehicles.

Additional Safety tips especially during this time of year

Look at your house from the outside. Make sure you use the following tips.

• Thieves hate bright lights. Install outside lights and keep them on at night.
• Keep your yard clean. Prune back shrubbery so it doesn't hide doors or windows. Cut back tree limbs that a thief could use to climb to an upper-level window.
• If you travel, create the illusion that you're at home by getting some timers that will turn lights on and off in different areas of your house throughout the evening. Lights burning 24 hours a day signal an empty house.
• Let your neighbors know when you're going away, and ask them to keep an eye and ear out on your home and notify police of any suspicious activity.
• Leave shades, blinds, and curtains in normal positions. And don't let your mail pile up! Call the post office to stop delivery or have a neighbor pick it up.
• Make a list of your valuables - VCRs, stereos, computers, jewelry. Take photos of the items, list their serial numbers and description. Check with law enforcement about engraving your valuables through Operation Identification.
• Ask local law enforcement for a free home security survey.

 Barb’s Farm homeowner’s, please, always keep in mind... although we live in a beautiful and very quiet community, we must always stay vigilant and on alert to possible criminal activity that can
venture into our community from perpetrators from other areas. Please do not be so complacent to think that we are secluded from crimes occurring here. Remember, crime can happen anywhere!!! Stay safe this holiday season neighbors and friends!!!

Happy Holidays to all !!!