Falls Police Talk Crime Prevention to Help Curb Burglaries, Thefts

Capt. Jack Davis has a few tips to avoid costly thefts and explains what can be done in terms of crime prevention.

Too often, Falls residents will leave wallets, money, GPS units, laptops and MP3 players in their cars and thieves know it, he said. The best policy is to lock up your car and not leave any valuables inside it.

"It might be an inconvenience, but so is losing and having to replace those sensitive materials or expensive electronics," he said.

Secondly, in 2011, police saw a good deal of copper plumbing burglaries where thieves would target empty or foreclosed houses and steal the valuable metal.

Those thefts have trended downward, but daytime burglaries are up slightly. In a matter of minutes, burglars will assess whether someone is home or not, break in and head right to the master bedroom in search of a jewelry box.

"Hide those family heirlooms in unlikely places and leave only your costume jewelry out to throw off criminals that are typically moving quickly to get in and out of your house unnoticed," said Davis.

The best way to catch burglars, especially those who brazenly steal in broad daylight, is by reporting strange or suspicious activity to the police. For example, people walking into backyards or strangers knocking on doors in your neighborhood are typically red flags, he said. 

Be watchful and inform neighbors if you’re leaving for an extended period of time.

Davis said residents who live from Broad Boulevard to the southern city limits should be particularly careful as a good deal of thefts are taking place in those neighborhoods.

To report any suspicious activity or for additional crime prevention information, call Cuyahoga Falls police at 330-928-2181.

Got any good crime prevention tips? Add them in the Comments Section below.