EDITORIAL: Pee Dee residents should take stand against crime and be an alert community

Residents in the Claussen area of Florence County are breathing a little easier with the news that the two men suspected of burglarizing their homes have been captured.

Investigators allege one of the men broke into several residences, including two in Darlington County, where he stole, among other things, flat screen televisions, jewelry, computers, cash, cell phones, video game equipment, cameras and guns and sold them to another man, who knew the items were stolen.

Florence County Sheriff’s Capt. Mike Nunn said investigators realize the wait for a break in a case is frustrating for victims, but he said these cases often take time to solve.

And in a rural yet close-knit community like Claussen, the crimes may be a little harder to stomach. While the closest neighbors may be a mile or more apart, they do look out for each other and feel they should be able to leave their belongings, such as children’s bicycles, in their front yards or their garage doors open without having to worry about anything being stolen in broad daylight. In some of our rural neighborhoods, a shotgun is the first line of defense for many homeowners in lieu of a burglar alarm — when they’re home, that is.

It’s fortunate no one was injured during these burglaries in Claussen. It’s unfortunate residents’ homes were violated by criminals. That’s not fair to anyone, regardless of where one lives. But times have changed, and not just for those living in more urban areas.

According to the Burglary Prevention Council (BPC), a national organization dedicated to the prevention of residential burglaries, the South is the nation’s region with the highest volume of burglaries, having reported 45.2 percent of all burglaries committed based on figures from the FBI Uniform Crime Reports for 2004. Those same figures show more than 62 percent of residential burglaries occurred during daylight hours.

These facts aren’t meant to frighten residents, but rather to make them more vigilant about protecting their property. The BPC offers these 10 tips to help keep residents from becoming burglary victims:
1. Keep all doors and windows closed and securely fastened.

2. Secure sliding glass doors.

3. Always lock the door to an attached garage.

4. Create the illusion that you are home. by using timers on lights, radios and televisions. Making your residence appear occupied, even when no one is home, will deter criminals.

5. Keep the perimeter of your home well-lit.

6. Never leave clues that you are away on a trip.

7. Keep some shades and blinds up and curtains open to maintain a normal, everyday appearance.

8. Never leave a message on your telephone answering machine telling people that you are away from home.

9. Keep shrubbery trimmed away from entrances and walkways.

10. Organize a community watch program to protect your neighborhood.

The last tip is especially recommended by Pee Dee law enforcement officials, who agree with the BPC that an alert community is a safer community. Nunn said he always encourages residents to form neighborhood crime watch groups and report any suspicious activity in their area to law enforcement officers.

Pee Dee residents will soon have a chance to take a public stand against crime in the community during the 27th Annual National Night Out, this year set for Aug. 3. But we urge you not to wait until then to take charge of your own safety and security.

Criminals often have to wait for the right opportunity to chose their victims.

Now is your opportunity to stop them.

— Unsigned editorials represent the views of this newspaper: Editorial Board members are Mark Laskowski (regional publisher), Sam Bundy (sports editor), Kimberly Ginfrida (content manager), David Johnson (regional circulation director), John Sweeney (The Weekly Observer editor), Charles Tomlinson (Lake City News & Post editor) and Jackie Torok (metro editor).