Rice Police Reminding Residents to “Lock Up” at 9 PM

The Rice Police Department took to Facebook to remind residents to lock up for the night at 9 pm. They have been sharing memes for a while that are silly and fun, but also have an important message behind them. It's part of a national campaign called the 9 PM Routine.

The goal is to cut down on burglaries by having homeowners and residents take initiative in protecting themselves and their possessions. To participate in the 9 PM Routine, just set a reminder and at 9 PM each evening, and make sure the following tasks have been done:

• Vehicles, residences, garages, windows, gates, sheds have been locked.
• Exterior lights, security cameras, alarm systems have been activated.
• Valuables from vehicles (including keys), yards, and patios have been brought inside and stored.

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Making the 9 PM Routine part of your evening is a great way to keep your household safe, and a great habit to form.

About four years ago we had our cars broken into in our Sauk Rapids driveway, that we just assumed was totally safe and nothing bad would happen. We had left our doors unlocked on the vehicles and overnight they were gone through and we had a couple of things stolen like cash and headphones. We were lucky no major damage was done, and we recovered what was lost, but most people don't get so lucky. It was a good lesson for us to learn. No matter how safe your neighborhood is, taking the extra steps to secure yourself and your property is always a good idea.

9 PM routine, lock it up.