Burglars are cutting power to homes to try to bypass security alarms.

Posted by Leon S. on Monday, July 14, 2014 Under: Burglaries

Dekalb County Police say the burglars cut through locks and ripped the power meters off of the wall of homes before breaking in. Residents are upset after having their electricity knocked out when would-be robbers ripped the power meter right out of the wall.

One resident said that she didn't think anything of the outage until she later opened the door to her patio and realized that some of the window screens had been knocked out. She said whoever caused the damage thought it would be a good way to get around the security alarm. Most modern alarm systems now have the capability to run via battery back up and use mobile technology, so it doesn't always work that way and didn't this time.

DeKalb County police saw a trend of similar break-ins and attempts back in December and said they made several arrests and cleared those cases. They want residents to be on alert again, however, due to the recent spike.

The most recent targets appear to be going up and down the Lavista Road neighborhoods and all the way up to Clairmont Road.

In one of the neighborhoods, a resident claims to have seen what appeared to be a suspicious looking work van and investigators have asked to be on the lookout for a group of males in a light colored church van with writing on the side.

For some residents, Georgia Power has taken steps to better secure their meter. On one of the victim's houses, they put a double lock on it so that it is more difficult to take off again.

As with any matter involving security, proactive vigilance is always best. Here a few suggestions to make your home a less vulnerable target:

Pay attention to anything strange and out of place in your neighborhood such as strange vehicles (both private and commercial) and to unfamiliar faces that could be watching you and your home.
Photo and record the serial numbers of all of your valuables and keep that information in a safe place.
Lock up any high value assets in a safe storage such as a safe deposit box or similar safe place.
Make sure that all external entry points have adequate locking devices and that they are in good working order.
Test your alarm system regularly.
Install a good CCTV system that allows for remote viewing.
Have a contingency plan in place on what to do, who to contact, etc. in the event you are affected by burglary.
Participate in your area Neighborhood Watch.