Gilford Police Department

Did you know?

#1  A large portion of burglaries the Gilford Police Department investigates take place during daylight hours.

#2  During these types of burglaries, suspect(s) will approach a residence and knock on the door, just to find out if someone is home.  If someone answers, the suspect(s) simply claim to be there for an alleged legitimate reason, i.e. looking for work, looking for some random person, or trying to sell something.

#3  The Town of Gilford has a town ordinance governing over people selling items door to door (Chapter 27), in addition to a Hawkers and Peddlers License from the State of New Hampshire.

What does this mean to you?

Suspicious person calls to the Police during the day are just as important as calls to the Police at night.  Burglars take advantage of people working normal business hours.  They also take advantage of residences that are not secure.

Some burglars are like electricity, they take the path of least resistance.  If they don’t have to force their way into a residence, a homeowner might not realize what has happened much later.  If they find it difficult to get into your home, they may choose to move on.

What can you do about it?

Take measures to secure your home.  Document what valuables you do have, and set that information aside in case of an emergency.

Imagine what you can do with a couple of digital photographs.  In a few clicks, you can photograph the item, photograph the model number, make, even serial number.  A photograph of a piece of jewelry is far more informative than a brief written description.  You could even place these photographs on a CD or DVD and keep that disc at work, in case of a fire.

If you have a person(s) approach your residence and you feel that they are suspicious, call the Police.  Be the best witness; note their description(s), vehicles, etc.  Even if they are conducting legitimate business door to door, know that they still need permits to do so, and the Police can verify those permits.

Use your eyes and ears and trust your gut!  If something doesn’t feel right, call!  And, don’t wait; call as soon as you can.  While stale information may still help, we stand a better chance finding a person and questioning them at the time they are seen.

The telephone number to the Gilford Police Department is 527-4737.

The Gilford Police would like to wish everyone a safe and joyous holiday season.