Area of break-in; 3100 block of Oxford

When: On Saturday night or Sunday morning/early afternoon. The residents were out.

How: The home owner first noted Sunday morning as they were leaving that there were pry marks on the side door. Later the spouse came home and found that a living room window had been broken and the window frame pried.  Next the sliding glass door was found ajar and had been pried loosening the screws to the whole door frame. 

The home owners noted that so far they have not noticed anything missing and the house was not ransacked. 

Police were called Sunday afternoon.

More details to follow when known.

Be vigilant. Pay attention. Know your neighbors. Keep the alarm activated when not at home during the day. Get an alarm if you do not have one. Set the alarm for ‘stay’ at night when going to bed. See further information on crime prevention on our website.

Good Evening:

Last week we had a couple of vehicle break-ins in the area of beat 321 (Westgate Dr/ Chapel Hill Blvd/ Cameron Blvd) where the vehicles were left and the items taken were left in plain sight.  2 handguns were taken in this manner last week.  We want to remind everyone to please not leave items of value in your vehicle and always, always- lock your vehicle no matter where you park it or how safe you think it is.  It is the nearing the holiday season.  This is a good practice to remember as you conduct your holiday shopping.  Packages and gifts in plain sight in your vehicle can make easy targets for theft.

Something else to remember…..according to the weather forecast, it is supposed to get cold at night in the next week.  Many will warm your vehicles while you get ready for work.  In the past, vehicles have been taken while they have been warming up. Please do not leave vehicles unattended while running.

As always, thank you for all of your support and good luck in the next week.  Happy Veterans Day to all who have served.  See you at the PAC meetin g on Saturday.

Best Wishes,

Lt. Mark Morais
Assistant Commander- District 3
919-560-4583 x29354
mark.morais@durhamnc.gov

This weekend a great article was written in the N &O concerning tips from a burglar to keep your home Safe. It serves a great reminder for us all:

1-Alarms-

I you have one, USE IT. Amazing how many don’t activate their alarms. Spend the extra money to have window sensors. Many have the sensor only in the door, and that is NOT a deterrent as a burglar can break the window without the alarm going off.

2-Avoid the Appearance you’ve gone away-

Don’t leave the garbage can by the curbside. If you’re going out of town, have your neighbors move it.

Don’t leave the newspapers for more than one day in front of your house. If you are on vacation or migrating to the Caribbean for a few weeks/months, stop delivery.

Move a parked car on a drive way or car port routinely. A dirty car that appears to have been sitting in the same spot for a long time is a good indicator you are away.

3-Lock all doors and windows-

Have strong locks.

French doors are the easiest to break.

4-Windows-

Always close and lock them. Even on the 2^nd floor.

Close the blinds or curtains. Make sure people cannot see inside the house. Shear drapes during day let light in, but deflect light so the interior is not visible, but blinds should be closed at night when dark outside and the interior lights are on.

If you don’t want to close the blinds, make sure valuable items are out of view. Don’t have the big plasma TV visible from the outside.

5-Install a camera in unusual places-

Even if a burglar breaks in through the back, he usually walks out the front.

6-Store valuables in unusual places-

Keep valuables, such as jewelry, in places other than the master bedroom. The bathroom or laundry room are good places to hide these items. Burglars tend to start in the master bedroom and walk their way back into the living room, then the front door or driveway.

If there is a room burglars will ransack, it will be the master bedroom; that is where most women keep their jewelry.

7-Avoid blocking your house from public-

If you have trees or big bushes, make sure there are gaps between them.

Don’t build a “wall” of greens.

8-If you have a safe, make sure it’s not easily moved-

A heavy safe or built into the wall is best. Most burglars won’t take the time to try to break into it because there are no guarantees there are any goods inside.

9-Avoid dog doors-

They are the easiest way for a burglar to get inside.

10-Don’t leave ladders in your backyard-

Note: If you live in a house hidden from the main streets, you are more likely to get burglarized. Although many love their privacy, a house that is not visible is the best target.

I heard from a friend a few minutes ago that there’s also a Duke Energy scam happening–happened to her but she didn’t take the bait.  Someone came to the door of her business and said that DE was going to cut off her power unless she called another number and made a payment. 

I hope people will understand that bottom line–the IRS, Duke Energy, telephone companies, cable companies, local/state/federal governments do not communicate via phone for serious situations.

On Wed, Oct 19, 2016 at 2:17 PM, markmorais1005@yahoo.com [pac3] <pac3-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

  A resident reported that “Officer Kevin Price with the Durham County Sheriff’s Office” called to report that she missed a federal grand jury appearance and to call a number, 919-437-1709.  When you call, you are asked to start giving them gift card or ATM account numbers.

In speaking with the Sheriff’s Office, they are aware of the scam as many residents have been contacted in this matter. 

Please be aware that these scams are going on and law enforcement is never going to ask you stay on the phone and give out your personal account information.

If you think that it might be a scam of have questions, feel free to give us a call to check.

Thank you.

Lt. Mark Morais
Assistant Commander- Dist. 3
mark.morais@durhamnc.gov
919-560-4583 x29354