Be Sure to Secure Your Sheds This Summer

As summer gets underway, be aware of how secure you valuables are that you keep in a shed.

Over the last week alone, five homes in the Essex-Middle River area had their sheds burglarized. According to Baltimore County police reports, most of those sheds were secured with at least a lock.

The most recent

• Wheelhouse Road, 3500 block, between 1 and 11 a.m. June 13: A lawnmower, golf clubs, golf bag and an extension cord were stolen from a locked shed. Total loss: $1,725.
• Cowhide Circle, 100 block, between 8 p.m. June 11 and 9:30 a.m. June 12: A leaf blower and weed eater were stolen from an unlocked shed. Total loss: $210.
• Grovethorn Road, 500 block, between 10 a.m. May 27 and 10 a.m. June 10: A dirt bike was stolen from an unlocked shed. Total loss: $800.
• Dahlia Lane, 3500 block, between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. June 10: A lawnmower was stolen from a locked shed. Total loss: $310.
• Wheelhouse Road, 3500 block, between 7:30 p.m. June 2 and 9 p.m. June 5: A lawn mower, fishing gear and a lock were stolen from a shed. Total loss: $615.

said crimes like these are hard to solve, but there are steps you can take to reduce your chances of being a victim and/or assist the police if your shed is burglarized.

He suggests installing motion-detction lighting, trimming bushes and trees in and around the shed and obviously securing the shed with a lock. Hlavach also stresses the importance of writing down serial numbers of items, such as lawn mowers and ATVs so they can be identified if they are recovered.

"Many of these incidents are due to environmental factors," Hlavach said. "The sheds are located in a dark area or it's isolated from the rest of the house where people can get in and out undetected. We also have officers available who can come out and assess what steps you need to take to make your home more secure."

Hlavach added that it is also important to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity and communicate with your neighbors.

"If you see someone or something that doesn't look right, don't hesitate to call the police," Hlavach said. "Also, talk to your neighbors if your shed or home was burglarized. Someone else may have had something similar happen to them and they may not have thought to call the police."

Check out this interactive map to view where the latest shed burglaries in the Essex-Middle River area were reported.