Burglary & Theft Prevention

The Riley County Police Department seeks your assistance in securing your property and making it a harder target from criminals.

Theft is occurring where you live! You must remember to protect your property... lock your doors.

One of the keys to recovering your property is to maintain a log of your items. The only thing that differentiates your laptop or play station from thousands of other items is usually a serial number. When property is recovered, those serial numbers are entered into a searchable database, and when a match is found, you're one step closer to recovering your property!

Protect Your Home from Burglary

Please use the following tips for locking and securing your home.

• Never leave your home unlocked even if you are just going to the neighbors. An open or unlocked door is an invitation to steal.
• Keep your keys with you at all times; hiding a key under the front door mat is not a good idea.
• Never lend your keys to anyone.
• Leave valuable jewelry, especially those items with sentimental or heirloom value, in a safe deposit box.
• If something is stolen or missing, report it right always.

Protect Your Vehicle from Burglary

Vehicle burglary is a crime statistic that continues to be a problem for the Riley County Police Department, most of the time it's due to people leaving valuables in their car. Follow these tips to safeguard your vehicle:

• Lock all the doors and secure all the windows to your vehicle. An open or unlocked door is an invitation to a criminal and makes you an easy target.
• Activate alarm systems if available.
• Remove all valuable items (GPS systems, lap tops, wallets, money, etc.) from the vehicle. Simply "hiding" them in the glove box does not work.
• Do not leave keys, garage door openers or paperwork with identifying information in the vehicle.
• Try to always park your vehicle in the garage. If this is not possible then purchase a light that will completely light up your drive way.
• Don't hesitate to call 911 to report suspicious persons seen wandering around in parking lots/neighborhoods who are looking into cars as they walk by. Police officers cannot be everywhere, so we count on citizens to be our "eyes" and "ears" and report these types of suspicious activities.

Record the make, model, and serial number of all your commonly used electronic equipment. Having this information available is necessary in order to enter the items into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computer database. This will aid police in trying to locate the items if the offender(s) are found with them or if they are pawned. This will also ensure the property is returned to the rightful owner. 

The Riley County Police Department is asking that every citizen do their part in helping to fight crime by taking both preventive action and spreading the word about this ever growing problem. Working together we can make a difference. If you become a victim, report all the necessary information immediately.