AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO OUR COMMUNITY

Remove or hide valuables which are in your automobiles! Lock your automobiles! Secure your homes, apartments and garages! Immediately report activity which appears suspicious or out of place! Community-wide vigilance is essential. We in law enforcement call this target hardening.

Over the past several weeks, numerous home and garage burglaries, auto entries, auto thefts and other thefts have occurred in Dane, Jefferson, Walworth and Waukesha counties. Some of these incidents have occurred in our city. A number of these burglaries across these counties occurred because unlocked vehicles in the driveway or lot of the homes and apartments contained a garage door opener. A mere button push away from full access to a garage or home.

Our agency has altered our focus during patrols in response to these crimes. We, along with our law enforcement partners in other cities and counties, are diligently working to identify, arrest and hold accountable those responsible.

We are asking all homeowners, renters and property owners to do the following:

1. Valuables kept in your vehicle should be stored out of sight or removed from your vehicle altogether.
2. Lock those auto doors.
3. Consider removing your garage door opener from your vehicle while it’s parked overnight in your driveway or lot or, at a minimum, put it in an out of sight location in your auto. We recognize that some openers are programmed into the auto.
4. Lock your home, apartment and garage.
5. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!
Immediately report suspicious activity to us.

The men and women of the Whitewater Police Department refuse to allow these criminals to view our city as an easy target for repeat victimization! With your assistance we will send that message loudly and clearly. Our partnership is the key to success.

Please share this post with your neighbors, family, friends, co-workers and fellow students.

Chief Aaron M. Raap