Summer entices thieves

Ben Godar

When residents open windows to let in some cooler air this summer,

police say it is important to make sure they do not let in a thief as

well.

A home in the 200 block of West Providencia Avenue was broken into

last week by a thief who entered after removing a screen from an open

window, police said. While the loss in that case was only a jar of

coins, police say the crime is an example of a trend they see every

summer.

While it is easy for thieves to enter a home through an open

window, Burbank Sgt. William Berry said it is also easy for residents

to keep them out. Many hardware stores sell devices that keep windows

from being opened more than six inches, which Berry said is not

enough for a criminal to pass through. Residents can also drill a

hole in the window frame and put a nail in it that won’t allow the

window to be opened more than six inches, he said.

Whether homeowners buy a kit or do it themselves, Berry said it is

important to do something to keep a thief from getting inside.

“Most crooks are lazy,” he said. “If they have to work for it,

they have to go next door.”

Berry also warned that it only takes one open window to allow a

burglar to enter.

“A lot of people leave their back windows open thinking nobody

will notice,” he said. “Crooks notice that, too.”

Most cases where the thief comes through an open window are what

police call “crimes of opportunity,” but break-ins can escalate into

a much more dangerous situation if the residents happen to be home.