The Ventnor City Police Department has these tips for the residents of Ventnor City:

“Be aware of so-called “Imposter Burglars”. These con-men and women usually try to distract a homeowner by coming to their door to solicit common construction jobs. Sometimes they will pose as roofers, pavers, carpenters or other tradesmen. They will tell the homeowner that the property is either in need of repair or offer a low price for improvements. They will lure the person outside of their home to show them the supposed problem, and while distracted, others will enter the home and steal certain items. An alternative scenario is that they will actually contract the job, take a sizable deposit and then never return to do the work. Residents can protect themselves by being aware of unsolicited bids and reporting suspicious workmen and activity to the Police Department.

Most burglaries are committed by opportunistic thieves. In two out of ten burglaries they don't even have to use force - they get in via an open door or window. Reduce the risk of a burglary happening to you by taking some simple precautions:

• Residential Burglar Alarms make a thief think twice
• Visible window locks deter burglars because it would force them to break a window bringing attention to themselves
• Double hung windows should have secondary locking mechanism allowing for window to be  opened for air but not wide enough for a person
• Good exterior lighting or infra-red sensor lights can deter a thief
• Put indoor lighting on timers
• Keep valuable out of sight
• Have a neighbor or family member regularly check on your home while you are away
• Never keep a key in a convenient place (under door mat, flower box, etc.)
• Never leave a garage or shed unlocked
• Gates and fences should be strong and in good shape and be able to be locked to prevent burglars from getting in the back yard where they can work undisturbed
• Make sure your front and back doors are secure and in good shape. Doors should be made of solid core construction
• Have a strong fire retardant safe bolted in a secure location within the home to safeguard personal items, jewelry and important papers
• Post code your property with a personal identification number or code. In only 9% of cases where something has been stolen is property returned

If you get home and notice signs of a break-in:

• Don’t go in or call out – the intruder could still be inside
• Go to a neighbor's to call the police

Bike thefts are a year round problem. Bikes should always be secured when unattended with a strong, wire cutter resistant lock. The largest percentages of bikes stolen are from unlocked garages or sheds. Taking the time to place a lock on these storage areas will bring down the numbers of bikes stolen dramatically. You should also record all bicycle serial numbers and keep them in a safe place so that in the event a bike is stolen, it will make tracking and recovery a little easier.

Never give out any personal information over the phone from unsolicited callers. Things such as credit card numbers, dates of birth, social security numbers or mother’s maiden name can be used to activate or utilize credit in your name.

Don't forget to check on the elderly and the sick, especially in extremely hot and cold weather conditions.

From time to time you may receive telephone calls from persons representing themselves as persons collecting money and donations for Police Organizations. While we can not discredit all instances as scams, we can tell you that all of the members of the NJ State PBA, to which the Ventnor Police Department is a member, are prohibited from phone solicitations. The only donations that benefit your local community directly are collected through our annual mail drive that is sent out in late spring or early summer. Be skeptical of any other types of solicitations and request an information packet before sending any money. If you feel that the phone call is inappropriate or a scam, try to obtain their phone number, location and a name and then contact the Ventnor Police Department and we will follow up to ascertain if this is a legitimate solicitation.