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Politics & Government

A Message from the Haddam Resident Troopers' Office

Haddam Resident Trooper Enrico Milardo warns residents to be vigilant, with home burglaries on the rise in the area recently.

With residential burglaries and larcenies on the rise, Haddam Resident Trooper Enrico Milardo would like to remind area residents to be vigilant.

"Many daytime burglars will knock on the front door of a house to see if anyone is home before burglarizing it. I recommend leaving a radio on when you're not home during the day, and closing the shades of lower-level windows, as thieves will often look through windows to see what's inside. Be vigilant of strangers or suspicious vehicles in your neighborhoods," Milardo warns.

If you do witness something or someone who seems suspicious, try to get a good description of the person, such as what they are wearing, glasses, hair color, etc. If you see a vehicle, the color, make and model of the car or truck is helpful, and a license plate number is a good identifying factor.

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If you witness an incident in progress, the direction of travel of the vehicle when it leaves the area can also help police, in some cases.

When returning home and thinking someone may have entered your residence while you were away, or thinking the intruder may still possibly be inside, never try to approach the individual(s) on your own. Always call the police to come investigate first.

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The following ideas are some tips to make your home more secure, and less of a target for intruders:

If you have a home security system, remember to turn it on when you leave. An alarm can only be helpful when it has been activated. Window stickers that identify the use of these systems can sometimes be a deterrent, as well.

Always close and lock garage doors. Once inside a garage, a burglar can take advantage of any tools that may be laying around, and use them to break into your home. Ladders stored in a garage or unlocked shed can be used to reach upper-level windows to gain access to a residence.

Secure sliding-glass doors by putting a dowel or piece of wood down into the channel section along the bottom, so the door can't be opened wide enough for a person to fit through.

At night, you can make your home look occupied by using timers to turn lights, radios, or TV's on or off at random times.

Good exterior lighting and motion-activated lights that will go on automatically can be a good deterrent for would-be intruders.

Keep tall hedges, trees and shrubs that are close to the foundation of your house trimmed, as these can not only provide hiding places, but overhanging branches can be used to climb onto the roof of a residence to access an upper-level window, as well.

Be cautious about leaving discarded boxes from TV's and stereo equipment, computers or other electronic devices and household items in your driveway, or out near the road for garbage pick-up, as this may entice or alert thieves about brand new items inside a household.

Be aware that burglars are savvy to fake rocks and statues used to hide keys, and will often check under doormats and over doorways to find them.

Get together with neighbors to discuss personal schedules, and take turns watching each others homes and yards when someone is away at work or on vacation.

Keep your vehicles locked when left parked outside in your driveway, and never leave spare keys accessible.

If you do see someone or something that you perceive as suspicious, you can report it to the Haddam Resident Troopers' Office at 860-345-2769, or by calling the Connecticut State Police, Troop F at 860-399-2100 or 1-800-256-5761. In any emergency situation, always immediately dial '911'.

*Trooper First-Class Enrico Milardo and Trooper First-Class Jim Connelly currently work together to serve the Town of Haddam as Resident Troopers.

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