Happy New Year, Northside residents, businesses and visitors.

I am using my space this issue to talk about crimes that have been quite impactful on city residents the past couple of years: burglaries and auto thefts. Madison has experienced a significant spike in these crimes. The hopeful, and also frustrating, fact is that most of these crimes are preventable if people take a few common-sense precautions. 

Most burglaries in the City of Madison do not involve forced entry. More often, burglars drive around looking for open car, garage or house doors. If they find unlocked vehicles in driveways, they will often use garage door openers to gain access to the residence through the garage. Thieves then grab what they can quickly: car keys, purses, wallets, computers, cell phones and other portable items. Once they leave the house, they steal the vehicle and use the stolen car to commit additional crimes. 

Here are tips to minimize your chances of becoming the next victim of an auto theft and burglary:

• Lock your vehicle, even when parked in your driveway or garage. 
• Remove or conceal any valuables in your car. Put your garage door opener in a place where it can’t be immediately discovered.
• Lock the doors to your house, including the door leading from your attached garage to your home. 
• Keep your garage door closed, even when you are home. Double-check that it is closed before you go to bed. 
• Improve the lighting around your home.
• If you are going to be out of town, let a neighbor know, and have someone assist with snow shoveling and mail so you aren’t telegraphing that your house is empty.

With a few simple actions, we can reverse the trend of these numbers. 

I wish you a happy and healthy 2021.