The following announcement comes from Hennepin County staff:

In the summer months, be aware of potential residential garage burglaries and thefts from parked cars. Typically, the burglaries and thefts occur during the night-time hours. 

Please keep a watchful eye out and call 9-1-1 immediately if you see or hear anything suspicious. 

Examples of suspicious activity: People lurking around homes, hiding from passing traffic, or looking into vehicles; people sneaking into garages; or the sound of breaking glass. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Keep your overhead garage door CLOSED at all times. Be careful to close the garage door when you are doing work in the yard. 

Keep a watchful eye out and call 9-1-1 if you see suspicious behavior. Report all incidents of theft and/or vandalism, even if you do not observe the crime. 

Reporting is important because it may be possible to identify patterns through accumulated reports, which helps law enforcement deal with the problem. 

Lock all exterior doors to your home, including the garage service door. 

Keep ground floor windows closed and locked when not home. 

Keep your front lights on. This increases the chances of vandals or thieves being seen. 

DO NOT leave valuables in your car. Remember that cell phones, CDs, purses, briefcases, laptops, portable TVs, IPODS, sunglasses, clothing, small change, etc. are all tempting to thieves. 

Lock your car. 

Do not forget to check that your overhead garage door is CLOSED, especially at night. 

Please share this information with neighbors.