Burglar Attempts to Rob Councilwoman Denny's House

Coronado Police released reports Tuesday of an attempted burglary at Councilwoman Barbara Denny's home last week.

Police said an unknown suspect(s) attempted to enter her residence on the 800 block of B Avenue by removing a screen from a front window and attempting to push open a window to gain entry. The window, however, was locked.

This was not the only crime reported on the 800 block of B Avenue in the past few weeks. An unknown suspect(s) stole a GPS valued at $200 and a radio face plate valued at $100 from a vehicle between Jan. 19-21, and an unknown suspect(s) entered a residence through an unlocked living room window and stole two laptops, a desktop, pair of sunglasses and spare set of keys valued at $3,400 too.

Councilwoman Denny provided the following comment to Patch via email on Tuesday:

My husband and I are thankful to the Coronado Police Department (CPD), and all of the other responding agencies, for their excellent work over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend. Proper police protocol was followed for a challenging situation as it unfolded over time. Although the suspect is still at large, we're confident that he'll be brought to justice for the crimes he committed.  

Naturally we're concerned for our neighbors and Coronado residents in other parts of the Village who were victims of this suspect. Our empathy for them runs deep. It must be horrible to experience a home invasion. 

We were included on the suspect's route around town. Although we were home at the time, we didn't hear his failed attempt to enter our house. 
Apparently, he climbed over our high patio wall because our front gate was locked out of habit as our first line of defense against crime. In the course of their duties, CPD noticed that the screen was removed from our window and sitting near our native, low-water landscaping several feet away from our window. 

The suspect removed our screen and attempted to open our window. He failed because we lock our windows and doors out of habit as our second line of defense against crime. 

Our third line of defense, our home alarm system, also serves to stop burglars and thieves. In addition, we have a camera that operates day and night. Our porch lights were on, too. 

All things considered, the suspect wasn't smart to choose our house.  
I strongly encourage all Coronado residents to get into the habit of locking their windows and doors as a bare minimum habit of personal safety. I can't overemphasize the importance of this one, simple habit.

Also, put locks on your gates and use them where feasible in the front of your house, as well as in your back alley. Minimize landscaping around your windows and doors to eliminate cover for criminal activity. Keep your front and back porch lights on at night. If you can, install and use home alarms and cameras as tools to protect your family and your personal property.

For Coronado residents who are interested in building neighborhood cohesion while improving their personal safety, contact the CPD Crime Prevention Unit at 619-522-7370 to request information about Neighborhood Watch. The fact is that Neighborhood Watch groups prevent crime.

Neighborhood Watch safety surveys encourage residents to develop safe habits. Neighborhood Watch patrols report suspicious activity to the CPD. 
Finally, I created the Coronado FEEL SAFE PALS Safety. Checklist for residents who are interested in developing good safety habits. It's available on my website DailyCoronado.com by clicking here.