A huge thank-you to the 40+ people who came to the meeting house on Tuesday evening to ask their questions about keeping our great town of Sudbury safe. Sgt. Chuck Cacciatore of the Vermont State Police (Rutland barracks) and Sudbury's own Dutch LaVallee (retired State Trooper) were kind enough to answer questions and offer suggestions to all who gathered. Here are some of the stats from our meeting, as well as suggestions for keeping your house and your neighborhood safe.
- There have only been 5 reported burglaries in Sudbury since December 2007. IF YOU HAVE BEEN BROKEN INTO, it needs to be reported to the State Police. Call the dispatch number unless it's an emergency - those numbers are 773-9101 or 468-5355. Remember it doesn't bother the State Police if you call them - they might be a little busy, but they need to know about crime as it happens.
- There tends to be an upswing in break-in reporting in the spring, because that's when camp owners are going back to their properties after the winter and discovering that there's been a break-in.
- The biggest theft target these days is not the big ticket items like TVs, stereos and VCRs - it's jewelry and, most importantly, prescription drugs.
TIPS:
- FIRST AND FOREMOST: Know who your neighbors are. Introduce yourselves if you don't know them. This not only assists in the neighborhood watch, it also builds our community
- Let your neighbors know when you're going to be gone. When you do this, be discreet. Don't shout it across the aisles at the Grand Union. Also let your neighbors know when you're going to be back.
- Don't put your surname on the mailbox, only the numbers. Some criminals will address you by name, and you may be fooled into thinking that you know who they are.
- Make sure the voice on your outgoing answering machine message is in a man's voice, particularly if you're a woman living alone. Ask someone to do the message for you if there isn't a man in the house.
- If you're away, have someone take care of your house - bring in the paper/mail, make sure there's been no break-ins
- In the winter, have your driveway plowed even if you're not around, and ask a neighbor to drive into the driveway and walk up your walkway to give the appearance that someone's there.
- Organize a phone tree in your neighborhood, and make a point to check in with one another if there's suspicious activity. It's also a nice idea to check in with your elderly neighbors on a regular basis, to make sure they're doing ok.
- Call the State Police and your neighborhood phone tree to report suspicious activity. If you notice the suspicious activity around a neighbor's house or property, check in with them; otherwise go directly to the Police barracks. Again, don't be put off by calling the dispatch - get the information out and reported!
- If you get home and there's someone in your house, don't be a hero. Get out and call 911 from a neighbor's house or from a safe place on your cell phone.
- If you have a security system and it gets triggered, the response time for the police to get there is around 20 minutes.
- If you are the recipient of a "midnight visit": someone who knocks on your door in the middle of the night because they say that their car broke down and they need to use the phone, DO NOT LET THEM INTO YOUR HOUSE. (You might recall this is what happened to the professors at Dartmouth a few years ago). Open the window next to the door, ask them what they want, and then help. If they run off when you won't open your door, call the police. We, as Vermonters, are naturally inclined to want to help people in need, and this can be done, but don't do it and risk your own safety.
- Don't be compromise your own feelings of safety and security. Do what you can, but if you're not comfortable, ask for backup from people who don't mind a little more risk - the police & sheriffs who serve our community.
- Dogs are a great deterrent to criminals. HOWEVER - if you can't take care of a dog, don't just go out and get one for safety reasons (this is my "Humane Society" spiel).
- It might be a good idea for both security and insurance purposes to take an annual video or photographic inventory of your property and homes. This could include a panoramic shot of a room, as well as detailed inventory of jewelry, guns, art, computers, etc. This would be useful to have in the event that you are broken into, as well as if you ever had a fire or other damage to your home for insurance purposes.
