As we all stay home to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s a good idea to take extra safety precautions to protect your family and home. Bellevue police arrested two suspects this past weekend in two separate burglary cases. Fortunately, no one was injured in either incident.

“In times of crisis, we can see the best and unfortunately, the worst in people. Criminals always look for easy opportunities to steal from you. With folks at home right now, they’re starting to take the risk and burglarize occupied homes,” said Police Chief Steve Mylett. “We all need to look out for each other, report anyone who’s acting suspicious, and keep a helpful eye out for our neighbors.”

There are simple proactive steps you can take every night to protect yourself. It’s called #9PMRoutine.

Remove valuables from your vehicle, lock doors

Close your garage, lock interior door

Close & lock exterior doors and windows

Turn on all exterior lights

Set car & home alarms

It’s also a good practice to keep your garage closed and doors locked during the daytime unless you’re outside. And if someone comes to your door, do not open it unless you know who they are. And if you see someone acting suspiciously, call 911.

“This is a challenging time for everyone, and we don’t want anyone to be a victim of crime on top of the COVID-19 stress,” Mylett said. “We are here to help, and we ask you to do these simple steps every evening to help keep yourself, your loved ones and your property safe.”