Due to recent burglaries that have been committed in Garden City as well as Nassau County, The Garden City Police Department would like to offer the following Burglary Prevention Tips by the Nassau County Security/Police Information Network to which the Garden City Police Department is a member:

1. Check your home for all possible entry points and any weaknesses that they may have.

2. Check for overgrown shrubbery and trees; maintain clear lines of sight for your entrances and driveway. Trim shrubs to a height of three feet and tree canopies should be trimmed up to eight feet. Eliminate hiding areas around entrances.

3. Check exterior lighting, this includes the back and sides of the home. Try to maintain uniform lighting and eliminate dark spots and shadows.

4. Check windows and door locks, make sure they are in working order. Install a wide-angle door viewer that permits you to look outside before opening the door.

5. Lock all doors, windows and garage whenever possible, prior to leaving your residence, going to bed, or leaving on vacation.

6. Move and secure items that could be used to facilitate entry through ground floor windows, make sure that casement windows cannot be pulled open to allow entry.

7. At night close your drapes, blinds and window treatments as a deterrent. If the subjects cannot see into your home they may be reluctant to enter.

8. Set your alarm before going to bed. You may consider having a panic button installed near the bed or use a wireless remote alarm key chain or pendant. Have a telephone near the bed.

9. Leave an interior light on or use a timer to turn the light on and off. Leave a radio or television on when out of the house.

10. Discontinue any deliveries while away on business or vacation. Arrange for family or friends to visit your home while you're away.

11. Take time to inventory, photograph and have an appraisal conducted on valuable items. Prepare a videotape of your home's contents and store in a safe place. Keep valuables out of the master bedroom. Store them in a safe or safe deposit box.

12. Mark your property using an engraving tool for identification.

13. When approaching or leaving your home, look for suspicious persons or vehicles.

14. As a deterrent vary your routine.

15. Start a neighborhood watch.

16. If you discover that your home has been burglarized, DO NOT ENTER. IMMEDIATELY CALL THE POLICE BY DIALING 911

If you are home and a burglar confronts you....

1. Remain calm, comply with the burglars' instructions.

2. Remember your life is more valuable than your property.

3. Try to memorize a description of the subject.

4. When the subject leaves, Call the Police by dialing 911

In addition to these prevention tips, Garden City Police Commissioner Ernest J. Cipullo would also like to offer the following ways that citizens can help the Police Department:

If your alarm or your neighbor's alarm goes off, call the police

If you hear suspicious noise or see a suspicious person in your yard or a neighbors yard, call the police

If you think you see a suspicious person and or vehicle, get detailed descriptions and immediately call the police. Getting a plate number to a vehicle would be especially helpful to the police.

If you see some type of activity occurring at a neighbors house when you think no one should be home, call the police

If you see a neighbor's door or window ajar, open or broken, call the police

Police Commissioner Cipullo states "Neighbors can help neighbors in the prevention of burglaries. Several suspects have been arrested this year by the Garden City Police Department for burglary and many of these arrests were the direct result of the keen observation of residents who reported suspicious activities immediately to the police."