This is a report from Bellevue Forest. I have omitted the identifying information. If you want more information, please contact your civic association.
Lots and lots of people walk their dogs in our neighborhoods - creating sort of a dog-walk-watch. Keep your eyes open. Carry a pocket camera or a phone with a camera built in. If there are trucks are service people in your neighborhood, snap a picture of their license. Webcams are also very affordable these days. Mount a webcam, pointed at the street, and record what is happening.
Burglary on Thursday, March 28 - Information Sought Dear Bellevue Forest Neighbors, Our home was burglarized on Thursday, March 28, some time between 11:30 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. The burglar(s) kicked open our front door, busting the deadbolt into the door frame which ripped the door frame off the wall. A bold move in broad daylight! The burglar(s) took some small electronics and nearly all of our jewelry, and apparently carried these possessions out of the house in a pale mint green pillowcase taken from our bed. The Arlington police believe that the burglary is related to the other recent burglaries in our neighborhood.
First and foremost, we want to remind everyone to secure their homes and possessions as much as possible. We suspect that unless or until these criminals are caught, unfortunately, the string of burglaries in our neighborhood will continue. Second, we ask anyone who may have seen any suspicious persons, activities, and/or vehicles at or near our home on Thursday, March 28, to please call the Arlington police at 703-228-3300, ext. 9482. This is a voice mail number. In your voice mail, please reference case number 130328-048. Officer Memenza or another officer on the case will return your voice mail to speak with you about the case. While the possessions stolen did not have significant financial value, some of the jewelry was unique family jewelry with tremendous sentimental value. We know that it is a long-shot that we will ever see this jewelry again - but we have a glimmer of hope that, with enough information, the criminal(s) may be caught and we may get back some of our belongings. Also, if additional information leads to arrest of the burglar(s), hopefully our neighborhood would return to the relatively safe and secure place it once was.
Finally, going forward, please report any suspicious persons, vehicles, and/or activities to the Arlington police's non-emergency information line at 703-558-2222. The officers investigating our case said that our neighborhood is being targeted by persons carrying clipboards making strange claims that "just don't sound right." For example, these persons may claim to be selling magazines for an unheard of organization; conducting surveys that just sound fishy; or asking for money for "job training." In sum, if someone comes to your door and you have any reason to believe that they are misrepresenting themselves, you should immediately call the police's non-emergency information line.