By Whit Montgomery, Killington Chief of Police
In resort communities like Killington, we are nearing the time of year when the community traditionally sees an increase in burglaries and break-ins. But there are steps you can take to secure your properties and help prevent burglaries. In addition to these measures, the town is taking a number of steps to curb potential crimes including altering and increasing patrols.
Steps you can take include:
• Make your home look occupied and difficult to break in to.
• Consider installing a burglar alarm system that includes audible and video/picture surveillance.
• Lock all outside doors and windows before you leave the house or go to bed, even if it is for a short period of time.
• Leave lights on when you go out. If you are going to be away for a length of time, connect some lamps with automatic timers to turn on in the evening and off during the day.
• Keep your garage door closed and locked.
• Secure vacant rental or foreclosure properties from copper thefts by using a padlock and chain security device and alarm/video surveillance. Have a reputable management company or neighbor check your property regularly and at different times.
• Do not allow daily deliveries of mail, newspapers, or flyers build up while you are away. Arrange with the United States Postal Service to hold your mail or arrange for a friend or neighbor to pick them up regularly.
• Arrange for your lawn to be mowed if you are gone for an extended period of time.
• Replace push-button locks on doorknobs to exterior doors with deadbolts as push-button locks are easy for burglars to open.
• Make sure your property is well lit. Have adequate exterior security lighting. A motion-sensitive light is recommended for backyards.
• Be a good neighbor. If you notice anything suspicious in your neighborhood, call 9-1-1 immediately. Make sure you get the description of the vehicle and include the plate number and state.
• Never hide a key outside or in an exterior building.
• Write down the license plate numbers of any suspicious vehicles in the area and report them to the authorities.
• Note the physical descriptions of any suspicious person(s) in the area.
• Trim trees and shrubs so that they cannot be used as hiding places for intruders or robbers.
• Be vigilant, pay attention to detail and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.
Contact Information:
• Emergency: 911
• Non-Emergency: 802-773-9101 (State Police Dispatch)
• Non-Emergency: 802-422-3200 (Killington Police Department)
Please note that the Killington Police Department coordinates its response through State Police Dispatch (802-773-9101). They dispatch calls to the State Police Troopers or Killington Police Officers on duty. Please use this number to report issues and feel free to reach me with any other questions.
