DRAPER, Utah (ABC 4 News) – It’s that time of year again. Crime is about to go up. That’s what police in one Utah city are warning their citizens.
Here, on the Salt Lake Valley’s south bench, the people who live in these luxurious homes will tell you they feel safe and secure. That maybe a mistake. When it comes to crime, too many people who live in Draper seem to have an open-door policy.
“There are five of us on patrol right now,” says Draper Police Officer Matt Coe. “We can only cover so much ground. We can’t be everywhere at all times.”
Officer Coe is on patrol, lookingfor criminals, but also, looking for homeowners inviting criminals to walk right in.
“Look at that,” he says as he points to an open garage door. “We see this all the time up here.”
And then, there’s another, and another. Five open garage doors on one street, all within a few hundred yards of each other.
“This is what the bad guys are looking for when they come to this neighborhood from other parts of the valley,” he says. “They are probably casing home in this neighborhood right now, as we patrol.”
Draper is a target town, especially the upscale communities on the bench. Police say the people who live here don’t realize they’re being identified as soft targets – prospective crime victims –people who create opportunities for criminal opportunists.
Garage doors, wide open, putting expensive items on display– bicycles, ATVs, golf clubs, electronic equipment in parked cars, even trailers parked in driveways.
"We live in an affluent area,”says Draper Police Sergeant Gerry Allred. “That’s what criminals are looking for when they come here.”
Draper police are warning the people who live here that crime is about to pick up.
"Statistics show theft, which is the most frequently committed crime here in Draper, picks up in the summer,”says Allred. “As the weather warms up, people tend to open their doors and windows and get complacent with their property. That creates opportunities for criminals.”
"M'am, we just want to want you about a problem. Your garage door is open.”
Officer Poe resorts to going door-to-door, alerting homeowners who leave their garage doors open and delivering a friendly but stern lecture.
“Were you aware your garage door is open. It needs to be closed so your property is safe and so are you.”
