KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Police said Monday that home burglaries have increased in a historic neighborhood. Officers from the Central Patrol Division said homes in their southwest region, which includes the Hyde Park area, have seen an uptick in home burglaries. But experts say there are things you can do to keep you and your family from becoming a victim.
“I’m kind of surprised to hear about it,” said Greg Hugeback, a resident there of 25 years.
Hugeback said his neighborhood has many older homes with porches. He said some are screened-in ones.
“All the houses around here have porches, and I guess if it were screened-in, it would be a little more concealing for a burglar to use that as cover,” he said.
Michael Betten, a retired Overland Park police officer who specialized in residential burglaries, adds those screens lack good locks, so it’s easy for thieves to get in to knock down the front door.
“The damage will all be in the interior frame so once the burglar gets in, they’ll close the door behind them and you still won’t see anything in the exterior,” Betten said.
Betten said you should reinforce your door, think about getting laminated windows so it’s tougher to break through and use an alarm system.
“I always like to say that burglars are like water, they’ll take the path of least resistance. The more difficult it is to gain an entry, the less likely it is that you’ll experience a burglary,” Betten said.
He also said burglars are looking for homes that look unoccupied. Betten said instead of telling kids not to answer the door to strangers, teach your children to make it sound occupied. He said that could mean anything from yelling phrases like, ‘Dad, I don’t know who is at the door,’ or running around the house.
Neighbors add one more to that tip list.
“I think one of the best things you can do is know your neighbors, know how to get a hold of them in case you see any suspicious activity,” Hugeback said.
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