November 21, 2023 - With the holiday season upon us, the Fort Wayne Police Department has provided safety tips to keep our community safe.
Personal Safety:
Situation awareness, always pay attention to your surroundings
Consider shopping with others, there is safety in groups
Avoid walking alone or parking in dark isolated areas
Keep wallet or purse secured, close to your body
Avoid carrying too many packages, keep your hands free as possible
Avoid carrying large amounts of cash, use cards when possible
Use your phones GPS and share your location with family/friends
Protect Your Vehicle:
Keep doors locked and windows up when parked
Never leave your vehicle running unattended
Take all valuable property out of your vehicle every time you leave
Install an alarm system and consider using a club (wheel lock device)
Park in well lit, busy areas
Secure Your Home:
Lock all doors and windows and have secondary locks (window pins, deadbolts, dowels etc.)
Keep landscaping trimmed so you can easily see around your property
Stop Mail and newspaper during extended absences
Have neighbor park in driveway when on an extended absence
Do not announce on social media when you will be away on vacation
Catalog serial numbers on property
Monitor deliveries (Amazon) and give instruction to delivery in non-visible locations
Use surveillance cameras and ring doorbells to monitor your home while away
Use timers, photo sensor, or motion sensors for lighting
Set burglary alarm and advised the alarm company you are away and to call the police directly
Keep gifts and expensive property out of plain view from the outside