PURCELLVILLE, Va. April 6, 2017 - The Purcellville Police Department would like to remind our community members about the importance of locking the doors to their vehicles and ensuring garage doors are closed before retiring for the evening. Crime trends reflect an increase of vehicle break in’s and thefts from open garages during the warmer weather months. The criminal will often times pass by the locked vehicle and enter a vehicle that can be entered by merely opening the door. It is also recommended that all valuables be removed or hidden from view. Garage door openers should be secured as well. By leaving garage doors open the resident makes themselves vulnerable to thefts, and perhaps an easier entry into the home.
You and your neighbors know who belongs in your neighborhood, so if you see something that appears suspicious, please think to report this to your police department first. The Purcellville Police officers are dispatched to your location by the LCSO Emergency Communications Center, so don’t be confused when they answer “Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.” The non-emergency number to dispatch an officer to your location is 703-777-1021. A timely dispatch can often be critically important to locating the suspicious activity/person, therefore, we strongly encourage anyone who sees something suspicious to think to call police first. If you deem the situation to be an emergency, never hesitate to call 911. We also encourage that information be confirmed before placing alerts on social media. It can be difficult to clarify or correct accuracy of a situation once it has been released on social media.
By working together the Police and the community members can ensure safety within our communities!
