Crime & Safety

Home Burglaries On The Rise

The Renton Police Department has responded to an average of nearly two burglaries each day since the beginning of the year.

 

If it seems like there’s been more residential burglaries reported in the news lately, it’s because home invasions are on the rise.

 

Find out what's happening in Rentonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Here’s a sampling of Renton home burglaries that made the news last week:

Last Thursday police chased three burglars around north Renton after an alert neighbor reported that the men had kicked in the door of a home nearby. On April 10 a Renton man fired three shots at a burglar in his home, which had also been burglarized the day before. That same day, police arrested five teens in the act of robbing a home in the Talbot Hill neighborhood.

Find out what's happening in Rentonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

Here are some stats from the Renton Police Department about home burglary:

Last year the Renton Police Department received 719 reports of residential burglary. That works out to an average of 1.97 per day, or 14 per week for January 1 through December 31, 2011.

However, most of the break-ins occurred at the end of the year. The Department logged 168 burglaries, or 1.66 per day between Jan. 1 and April 11, 2011. During the same time this year, the Department responded to 201 home burglaries, or an average of 1.98 per day.

“This translates to an increase of 19 percent when compared to the comparable period last year,” according to Department Officials.

Burglaries shot up toward the end of 2011 and remained extremely high, which is causing concern among department officials.

 

Here is what can you do to protect yourself, your family and your home (tips provided by the City of Renton):

Deadbolts: Install a deadbolt and secure the strike-plate (metal plate that houses the bolt) with at least 3" screws that penetrate the stud frame around your door.

Windows/Sliders: Place dowels (wooden sticks) flush in the track of all your sliding windows and sliding glass doors. Close the blinds or curtains, or make sure valuable items are out of view.

Security Film: For vulnerable windows and glass doors attach security film to the glass. Security film is a thin polyester sheet that when properly attached to a glass door or window can make the glass up to 300 percent stronger.

Landscaping: Foliage should be kept thinned and cut back away from windows, doors, and patios/porches.

Alarms: It's less common for burglars to target homes where there is an alarm. An alarm increases the risk for burglars to be seen by someone and/or possibly arrested.

Appearances: Avoid the appearance of being gone for several days. Don't leave garbage cans by the curbside. Don't leave newspapers in front of the house. Move a parked car routinely. If you are going to be out of town, have your neighbors move it.

Valuables: Keep valuables, such as jewelry, in unusual places other than the master bedroom. Burglars often ransack the master bedroom first since this is where women generally keep jewelry.

Surveillance: Install a camera in front of the house, especially near the front porch and driveway areas.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.