Stay Alert. Stay Safe.
Be aware of crime happening around you and take precautions to keep yourself, your loved ones, and your property safe.
Home Burglaries Involving Owners of Businesses on the Rise
Henrico Police has identified a reoccurring trend of home burglaries involving owners of businesses. Multiple incidents have been reported within the last few months (end of 2022-early 2023). Please know, Henrico Police is working to investigate, develop suspects and make arrest for these crimes.
We do recommend that you use some of these Crime Prevention tips to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim:
- Be vigilant, look for suspicious activity when traveling to and from work. Change your daily routine. Leave at different times and take different routes. Report any suspicious activity including unknown suspicious persons and vehicles in your neighborhoods by calling 911 or our non-emergency number 804-501-5000. This includes lawn care workers or maintenance personnel you do not recognize.
- Be aware that sometimes individuals will conduct surveillance of your home a few days prior by pretending to be pizza delivery drivers, package delivery persons, stating they are lost, requesting to use the restroom and/or looking to buy property in the area. Do not allow those individuals into your home. They will often park vehicles nearby or on a next street over.
- Walk around your home and look for any weaknesses. These could include unlocked windows or doors, poor lighting, overgrown shrubbery providing hiding spots, and so forth. Henrico Police offers free Home Security Audits to county residents. To schedule a Home Security Audit, call the Community Services Unit at 804-501-4838 or email police@henrico.us.
- Most burglaries take place when the homeowners are away. Create the illusion that you are home. Leave on lights or televisions. These can be set on timers or set up remotely through your phone or home security system.
- Do not leave large amounts of cash, jewelry, or anything of great value in your home unsecured. If you do leave these items in your home invest in a home safe that can be mounted to the floor for extra security.
- Invest in a camera system, and make sure it is turned on and functioning properly and captures all areas around your home as well as activity in the street in front of your home.
If you suspect that you are being targeted on any of the above ways, please contact Henrico Police by calling 911 or our non-emergency number 804-501-5000.
For additional safety tips please visit henrico.us/police/brochures.
Catalytic Converter Thefts on the Rise
There has been a considerable increase in catalytic converter thefts across Henrico County and throughout the entire Richmond Region. Henrico Police detectives, along with other area law enforcement agencies, are diligently working to identify suspects in these thefts.
One of the most valuable tools in solving these crimes is for businesses to have security cameras installed and operable, recording all sides of the business. Surveillance video not only gives police detectives a look at the suspect(s), but valuable information is also obtained, such as suspect vehicle description and time stamp of when thefts are occurring. Having a time frame allows us to acquire additional information or footage more easily from neighboring businesses that may have a better view of the suspect(s) or suspect vehicles. In addition, we can increase awareness of these thefts by sharing surveillance video with other law enforcement agencies.
There are several things businesses can do to help deter and prevent catalytic converter thefts, as well as assist police in identifying suspects:
- Park your work vehicles in a well-lit area. Bright lights help deter theft. Thieves prefer dark parking lots where shadows camouflage their activity.
- Point your surveillance cameras in the direction of your vehicles as best you can.
- If you do not have surveillance cameras on your business, it is highly recommended you purchase some. It does not have to be the most high-tech system available on the market. Something is better than nothing.
In these cases – what police call crimes of opportunity – it is critical detectives have video of the crime. It is very rare to see a set pattern to catalytic converter thefts. The small details obtained from each report and surveillance video is how detectives put these cases together. - The most important thing you can do is report any theft to police. If no report is made, we do not know who, what, where, and when a theft has occurred. Reports play a very important role in identifying crime trends and help us determine when and where to increase patrol.
Download the Catalytic Converter Theft Prevention brochure and help us share information and increase awareness about this rising crime trend.
More Crime Data & Resources
- Arrest Reports
- Incident Crime Reports
- Calls for Service
- Active Police Calls
- Police Reports & Policy
- News Releases
- Crime Statistics
Report Suspicious Activity
Always report suspicious activity. Call Henrico Police at (804) 501-5000 or 911 in an emergency.
Submit Crime Tips
If you have information about a crime, call Henrico Police at (804) 501-5000. Submit your tip anonymously to Crime Stoppers through its P3Tips app or by calling (804) 780-1000.
Sign Up for Emergency Alerts
Learn more about the Henrico County Community Emergency Notification System and sign up at henricoalert.org
Tweets by HenricoPolice
