Summertime's the right time for crime, association learns

The lazy days of summer are here. Days of kids traipsing in and out of the house — front door left open as the family gathers around the barbecue in the back yard. Time for summer vacations, weekend trips to grandmas and the family outing to Disneyland.

"It's easy to let your guard down in the summer," said San Carlos Park resident Chris Granger. "Everything seems more kick-back and relaxed and you feel like everyone has to be in as lazy of a mood as you are."

Unfortunately, as the recent rise in reported home burglaries in communities like San Carlos Park show, it is evident that there are some who are not quiet so lulled into laziness by the summer heat.

In fact, these burglars take advantage of — even count upon — that very lack of vigilance.

"Burglars are creatures of habit, and burglary is a crime of opportunity," said Ronald Kohl of the Lee County Sheriff's Office Homeland Protection Unit. That open door, forgotten in the rush to get back to the coolness of the swimming pool, is an invitation to burglars. Even garage doors left open while you are home are a tempting challenge to a potential thief, and it only takes a moment for golf clubs, tools, and bikes to disappear.

"You never think someone will just walk on your lawn and take stuff," said Granger, "but my son left his bike on the front sidewalk while he came inside to get a glass of water and, bang, it was gone."

Kohl stressed the importance of community awareness and programs like Neighborhood Watch during a presentation at the San Carlos Park Civic Association meeting Wednesday.

"I believe in Neighborhood Watch immensely," he said to the small group. "Phone calls are so important."

While many people express a reluctance to "get involved," to Kohl "getting involved" is nothing more than picking up the phone, even if it is done anonymously. He stressed that becoming more involved than calling in any suspicious behavior is discouraged.

"That is what we have professionals on the street for," he said. "Everyone else should only do two things; observe and report. If you are doing more than that you become a part of what you are reporting."

Neighborhood Watch encourages people to communicate with their neighbors, to get to know them and to care about what happens in the community, said San Carlos Park Neighborhood Watch organizer Mary Lou Stephenson.

"That's the idea behind the program," agreed Kohl. "It is people helping people."

He said to let each other know when you are leaving on vacation, and if you see something suspicious in the neighborhood to call the sheriff without hesitation.

"If it is just a suspicious circumstance, it's not a call for 911," he said. "But you can call our other lines (477-1000 and 744-1234) and give us the details."

He said each call will be responded to, regardless of whether you give your name or not. Even if you are not sure something is wrong, make the call, he said.

"We call those JDLR calls," he told San Carlos Park residents, "when something 'just don't look right.'" While other calls of a more urgent nature may take priority over "JDLR" calls, Kohl stressed that every call is logged and checked out before being cleared.

"It really shouldn't be that hard to help out your neighbors," said Granger. "Heck, you can even pick up the phone and call in something that doesn't look right and still be lazy. It's doesn't take a lot of effort, just a bit of heart."