Reader Writes: Are Beaumont's Burglaries Up?

To better answer this question, I am letting Beaumont Police Lt. Dean Crooks, Property Crimes Unit commander, take over as guest columnist today. [...] welcome to Beaumont and I am glad you enjoy living here. The numbers the FBI use come from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. [...] a crime initially reported as a burglary might end up being a simple trespassing or, after some investigation, no offense at all. The police are called to burglaries in progress but, for the most part, the first time a burglary is reported to an officer, the offense has already occurred. n Keep your garage door closed and locked. n Don't allow daily deliveries of mail, newspapers or flyers to build up while you are away. Many burglars know this and will not be deterred by a window sticker or sign indicating that the home has an alarm system. n Keep a detailed inventory of your valuable possessions, including a description of the items, date of purchase and original value, and serial numbers, and keep a copy in a safe place away from home - this is a good precaution in case of fires or other disasters. n Make a photographic or video record of valuable objects, heirlooms and antiques. n Write down the license plate numbers of any suspicious vehicles.