Crime & Safety

House Breaks on the Rise in Foxborough; Police Ask Residents to Take Notice

Foxborough police offer these tips to help residents protect their property and neighborhoods.

The Foxborough Police Department reported on its Facebook page Friday that housebreaks are on the rise in Foxborough and neighboring communities over “the last few months” and residents should take notice.

“Since the start of the year, the Foxborough Police Department has begun investigating six reported residential breaks,” police said on its Facebook page. “The main reason for the recent area-wide increase in housebreaks appears to be attributed to the rising epidemic of drug abuse, specifically prescription pill and heroin abuse.”

Police say drug abusers “have turned to breaking into homes” to take property, which can then be sold for “quick money to support their habits.”
Foxborough Police said while they have “remained vigilant in their investigative efforts” they are asking the public for assistance.

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“The public can be our greatest partner in tackling this growing trend,” police said. Foxborough police ask that residents consider the following tips to protect their homes and neighborhoods and assist police in curtailing these crimes:

  • If you return to your home and discover that it has been broken into, BACK OUT right away, and dial 911. It is important that you do not touch anything or try to clean up a mess. We will respond to your house and we will check to make sure there is no one still inside.
  • Be aware in your neighborhoods for any persons/vehicles that seem suspicious. Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t seem right, chances are - it’s not. Try and get a description of the person or vehicle and their direction of travel. Get the license plate if possible. This could be very useful information to us in our investigations.
  • Typically, when these type of thieves target a house, they will ring the doorbell or knock on the door to see if there is anyone home. If you are home, you should make yourself known. You do not need to answer the door, but can go to a window or yell out that you are too busy to answer the door. Generally, this will deter potential thieves and make them go away. If they believe no one is home, they will try to enter.

 

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  • If you do answer the door for someone, and they give odd reasons why they are there, call us. Give us a description of the person or vehicle they were in and their direction of travel. License plates if possible.

 

  • Many of these thieves are interested in small, valuable items that they can leave your house with and draw as little attention to them as possible [jewelry, small electronics, etc.] Most thieves, after they enter your house, will head right to the master bedroom looking for jewelry, then to the bathroom looking for medications. You can protect yourself by keeping your jewelry and medications in discrete locations. Thieves do not want to spend a lot of time in your house. They will only spend a few minutes inside. They will not waste time searching your whole house to find what they want. If they are unable to find what they need shortly after entering, chances are they will leave empty-handed.
  • Take pictures of the jewelry you have, and write down serial numbers of your electronics. These can be useful in trying to track down stolen merchandise.
  • Although costly, alarms are a great deterrent. Your house alarm should be ear-piercingly loud and mounted on both the inside and outside of you house. Ideally, outside alarms should be mounted as high up on the house as possible facing the street or neighboring houses to draw more attention to them. Loud alarms will not only draw attention to your house, but they will startle and discourage intruders.

 

  • If you have more than one vehicle, it is a good idea to leave one in the driveway instead of the garage when you are out, which will create the illusion that someone is home. Thieves generally do not want to be noticed and do not want to break into your house if they think you are home.

 

  • Connect with trusting neighbors, and share information with them. Let them know when you are going to be away and see if they can collect your mail, trash bins, deliveries, etc. When these items stack up, it lets thieves know that there is no one in the house.

 

  • Most importantly, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO CALL FOXBOROUGH POLICE at (508) 543-4343 or 911 - if an emergency- if you see something that you think is out of place. You can be our greatest ally and partner in helping us catch thieves.

“Having your home broken into and your personal items gone through is a very violating experience,” police said. “We will continue to investigate these crimes with vigor, and any assistance we can get from you is greatly appreciated.”


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