Police Notes: Burglary, Home Invasion Update

Burglars pried open a door at a home in the 200 block of Indian Way and took a number of items, Piedmont Police Department Detective George Phifer said Wednesday.

The burglary was reported the afternoon of Tuesday, May 29. No one was home at the time of the break-in, Phifer said.

HOME INVASION FOLLOW-UP

Piedmont Patch received several questions via email and online about the May 28 home invasion robbery on Oakland Avenue. Detective Phifer provided these answers Wednesday:

Burglar alarm/home security system. The Oakland Avenue home either did not have a security system, or the alarm was not set.

Dogs. There's no mention of any dogs owned by the victims of the home invasion in PPD reports. Phifer said dogs — even small dogs, if they are noisy and likely to bark at strangers — are considered a definite deterrent to burglars.

Keeping weapons in your home. Owning a gun may be a good idea, but only if you take certain steps, Phifer said. He recommends:

• Making sure any weapon is secure and cannot be accessed by children.

• Taking a gun safety class.

• Training regularly — at least monthly — with your weapon.

The Oakland Avenue robbery is still under investigation, Phifer said.