By Wendy Anders

In San José, Costa Rica alone, the judicial investigative police agency (OIJ) investigate at least 70 and 80 house break-ins per month, said the police in a statement last week.

Although previous years’ figures have been higher than in 2016, after studying their data, police said that house break-ins increase during Costa Rica’s summer months (December-April) when local residents travel more.

Almost all school vacations in Costa Rica span December and January, which is when many families vacation. The summer, or dry season months also coincide with high tourist season in the country.

According to Eddy Roda Abarca, head of the robbery and theft section in the criminal investigations department at the OIJ, there are several reasons why house break-ins occur.

One of the main causes of break-ins is attributed to domestic workers or caretakers who are not well-known and are hired without checking references. Hired help can readily aid in planning a theft when they know a family’s vacation plans. Police recommend that background and criminal references be checked before hiring anyone to work in your home, whether long term or short term. Short term workers with other intentions who are hired to fix a roof or other house problem can readily scope out a house for its break-in potential and provide that information to third parties.

When you do go out of town, Roda says one way to prevent break-ins is to have a close friend or relative make sporadic visits during the day, turn on and turn off lights, and in other ways make it seem the house is still occupied. Also, a trusted neighbor can be told about a short trip and asked to look out for your property, said Roda.

Rental houses or apartments that have been previously rented can also be vulnerable to crime, as previous unscrupulous renters may have kept copies of the keys to the house in order to break-in easily at a future date. Renters should insist that the unit’s owner changes all locks, or at least the ones on the main access gates and doors, said Roda.

Roda also suggested that neighborhoods organize Whatsapp groups so that if they see a suspicious vehicle or person prowling the neighborhood, they can surreptitiously take photographs and videos and share them with each other.

If your house is broken into, Roda says that staying calm is key. If you have contact with the robbers, take note of their height, clothing, any accent, or any other unusual identifying aspect that will help police identify the criminal/s. Provide police with as much detail as possible including the vehicle in which they were traveling or any bag they were carrying.

As a preventive measure, you can also try out police advice and “brand” your more expensive items with a personal mark that will aid in recovery in the event of a theft. Also knowing the brand name and value of your property will aid in filing an accurate police claim.

Roda invites people to contact his agents at the robbery and thefts department to request they visit their community to provide advice on making their home and neighborhood safer. The numbers are 2295-3304 or 2295-3305.