Franklin Police are investigating the season’s first lawn mower theft. It happened Saturday in the Liberty Hills Subdivision, where someone stole the lawn mower from a homeowner’s garage while he and his wife worked in the yard, outside the view of their open garage door.

The arrival of this year’s lawn maintenance season has thieves on the lookout for unattended equipment that can be quickly loaded onto a truck. The black market profitability these items bring increases demand, and thefts.

Here are a few tips that may help to reduce your chances of becoming a victim, and some that could help to get your things back if they are stolen:

• Keep your garage doors down and the doors to your home locked, even when working in the yard
• Secure equipment in your garage if you go inside for a break;
• Record the make, model, and serial numbers of your equipment;
• Beware of door-to-door salesmen and solicitors. Thieves often play these parts while in search of their next victim.

If you see something, say something. Record license plate numbers and descriptions of suspicious vehicles and people in your neighborhood, and then call police. Incorporating these tips, combined with a strong neighborhood network can be your best defense.

For information on starting a neighborhood watch in your neighborhood,
contact Franklin Police Public Affairs at (615) 794-2513