St. Charles County PD aims to alert residents who are easy targets for criminals

ST. CHARLES COUNTY (KMOV) -- The St. Charles County Police Department has started a crime deterrence initiative to help county residents help themselves reduce the risk of being a victim of a crime. Police are leaving behind yellow cards on the front doors of homes where they spot opportunities that criminals might take advantage of.

Cpl. Barry Bayles is a spokesman for the police department.

”We’re trying to make it harder for criminals to victimize people,” he said.

The cards that officers are leaving behind for homeowners will note whether officers found a garage door that was open, a vehicle left unlocked or valuables left in plain sight in a vehicle.

Steve Mulherin said an officer once came to his door to double-check everything was okay after noticing Mulherin’s pickup warming up in the driveway in the early morning hours. He said he appreciated that the officer was looking our for him and thinks the notices being placed on front doors is another example.

”I personally don’t have a problem with it because they’re just trying to make your neighborhood safer,” said Mulherin.

Some comments on the St. Charles County Police Department Facebook page suggest that the cards could be a signal to thieves about which homes are more vulnerable. Some worried the bright yellow door hangers would be a sign to thieves of which houses to hit. And they suggested police just knock on the door and tell residents about the things found that could make them more likely to be a victim.

Officers will sometimes knock on the door to speak to residents about safety concerns. Mulherin said it happened to him once.

”I had my truck started as I was getting ready for work, went up and I had a knock on the door. Opened it up and the police were there and just wanted to make sure I was the one that started my vehicle and everything was alright,” he said.

If no one’s home, the card left hanging on the door gets the message across. Police don’t think they will be a problem for homeowners.

”But we’re not putting a flag in the front yard that waves ‘insecure premises here’ or something or of that nature. This is something that will go on the door. Usually, the homeowner would be the only one to notice it,” said Bayles.

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