The Benton Police Department reports that the number of home burglaries have increased recently, with many occurring during the mid-day hours. Officers have reported doors kicked in at homes and items stolen, from different areas of the city. The Department has put together a list of preventative measures you can take to protect your valuables.
- Be extra vigilant of your surroundings, and report any suspicious activity as soon as you can. Call the non-emergency line of the Benton Dispatch Center at (501) 778-1171.
- If you have any information, no matter how small, about any of the recent burglaries, call us.
- Lock doors and windows throughout your home. If you have an alarm, be sure that it is turned on before you leave. Also, post signs outside announcing that your home has a security system to deter criminals.
- Don’t leave empty boxes your gifts came in by the curbside (computer, TV, etc.), instead break them down and put them in your trashcan.
- Lock your vehicle when you park it outside your residence. Park it near outside lighting or motion lights if possible and keep garage door openers out of sight.
- If you are leaving town, put automatic timers on your lights, so it looks like someone’s home.
- Close curtains or blinds to prevent thieves from taking inventory of your personal belongings and seeing the home’s layout.
- Have a trusted neighbor or friend gather your mail or newspapers, or have them temporarily stopped if you don’t have somebody to collect them.
- Do not let strangers into your home. If contacted by someone claiming to be a business, even claiming to have conducted work at your home previously, and you are unsure, have them re-contact you after you have had time to check if their business license is reputable. A stranger may attempt to talk their way into your home to commit a crime, so do not let the strangers use the restroom, etc., especially if you are home alone.
- If you’re going to be gone for an extended time period you can request extra patrol of your residence by calling 501-776-5948.
To report suspicious activity or information about a crime, contact the Benton Police Department at 501-778-1171 or 501-315-TIPS. Individuals also may send us an anonymous crime tip about this incident to CRIMES (274637) with the keyword BNPD in the body of the text or go to www.crimereports.com to leave a tip. A crime tip can also be submitted via the official Benton Police Department app found on ITunes and Google Play.
