Domestic burglaries

In 2013, the Public Prosecutor’s Office will continue to tightly control the fulfilment of the commitments and obligations under this project. This will contribute to the fact that the investigation capacity of the Police Force on the BES islands, in relation to early 2011, will start to strengthen, and thus more detection capability can be deployed to solve domestic burglaries and to identify suspects.

Besides the approach to the domestic burglaries the Public Prosecutor would also gladly like to inform you about prevention; the prevention of domestic burglaries, and what you can do to help the police.

• Have a critical look at your own house. Are there spots, where the sight is poor, such as a window with a large bush in front of it, or an unlighted porch? Make sure there is enough outside lighting and prune wild vegetation; often times they break in at the rear side. Think for instance about a twilight or a motion detector.
• Take care of lighting and visibility!
• Less chance for burglary with proper hinges and locks.
• If you see suspicious people in your neighbourhood, people who do not belong in your neighbourhood, and have a lot of attention for houses in the neighbourhood, call the police at once. Take notice how they look and in which direction they depart, so that you can report this to the police. Also make a note of the brand and registration number of a possible vehicle. It is of importance to call as soon as possible, after all a burglar only needs a few minutes to make his move and take off. Because of your reporting, the police could quickly be on the spot and catch the burglars. It is better to call in vain, than one time too little!
• Close windows and doors well, tighten the locks and store the keys, even though you are away for a while.
• Make use of timers on your lights. Often people leave their homes during the day only to return in the evening to a dark house. This, while lighting in and around the house can help prevent burglaries.
• Make sure that you do not have a large amount of money in the house.
• Keep valuable papers and jewellery in a safe or rent a bank safe.
• Place valuable items, such as laptops and expensive telephones, but also for instance your handbag and car keys, out of sight of passersby.
• Register and make photographs of your valuable belongings. Make note of the brand, type and serial number of laptops, tablets, iPads, telephones, TV’s , etc. This can help the Police find back your belongings!