Trending: Thefts from vehicles in Westerville

It’s the holiday season, and the Westerville Division of Police reminds residents they can take preventive steps to reduce their risks of becoming a victim of theft or other crime. Thefts are often crimes of opportunity, so these few tips can help you secure your home and vehicle and ultimately help discourage criminals from targeting you and your personal property.

Securing the home:

  • Lock all doors (front, back, side and interior garage).
  • Close blinds and secure first-story windows.
  • For homes with house alarms, activate the alarm (and associated motion sensors).
  • Always close your exterior garage door.
  • Turn on exterior lighting.
  • Cut back large shrubbery around the outside of windows.

Thefts from vehicles are among the most common crimes in Westerville, and most often happen to unlocked vehicles. Locking your vehicle greatly reduces your chance of becoming a victim of theft.

Securing vehicles:

  • Keep windows up and doors locked when parked.
  • Always park in well-lit areas.
  • Remove all valuable materials from the vehicle, or secure them in the trunk.
  • Never leave property visible in the vehicle. Purses, laptop computers and electronic equipment are popular items for thieves.
  • Park your vehicle off the street and in your driveway whenever possible. If you have a garage, it is the best place for your vehicle to be parked. This one act can reduce your risk dramatically.

Don’t hesitate to report anything unusual in public parking lots or in neighborhoods. In fact, WPD encourages these phone calls.

  • Call the non-emergency phone line at 614-882-7444. Call 9-1-1 for emergencies.
  • Identify yourself by name, address and phone number.
  • Report the type of crime (burglary, assault, suspicious person or vehicle, etc.).
  • State the location. Be prepared to be as specific as possible.
  • Be prepared to provide a description of the suspect and a description of the vehicle, including license plate number and the direction of travel, if applicable.
  • Stay on the phone with the dispatcher until they tell you that you may hang up, unless you fear for your safety.

Community Survey

The City of Westerville Community Survey opens online Monday, Nov. 14. Every two years, the City invites residents to rate our performance in the delivery of public programs and services. Each household may log in to take the customized Westerville survey with a unique password, sent to homes in the form of postcards via postal mail. A final report of resident satisfaction levels will be published in the first quarter of 2017. To see results from the 2014 Community Survey Final Report, please visit www.westerville.org/survey. If you do not receive or misplace your postcard, please call 614-901-6400.

Holiday Tree Disposal Information

Holiday trees can be disposed of as part of the normal yard waste collection (Monday). In order for holiday trees to be collected, they must be placed at the curb with all decorations, lights, etc., removed from the tree. Do not place the tree in a bag. For more information, call 614-901-6740.