A Reminder About Diversion Burglaries

Posted: February 28, 2020

The Randolph Township Police Department would like to remind residents about diversion burglary incidents and how best to avoid becoming the victim of one.

A diversion burglary occurs when you allow one or more people access to your house and, while inside, they distract you while another individual (3rd person) or one of the original individuals moves through rooms in your house stealing items.

If successful, you will not even realize what just occurred until they are long gone and you find items missing throughout the house.

Often, they will tell you that a utility problem exists in the immediate area and that they need to check something in the house or the basement. They are very friendly and may tell you that they were sent to the house by the town or a utilities company to check the house for problems. They may even have some sort of fake identification or clothing representing a legitimate company.

Unless previously scheduled work is to be performed at your house and you scheduled the work, do not allow anyone access to your house at any time unless you have first verified who the individual is and that they are legitimate.

You should ask for proper photo identification, what company they work for, what work is to be performed and ask them to wait at the locked door while you obtain a legitimate phone number and verify the same. More often than not, once you make these appropriate inquiries they will look to leave quickly.

Ultimately, contact the police department immediately to report suspicious individuals or incidents and never allow anyone access until you are certain and comfortable that they are legitimate.

Please call Sergeant Matt Rispoli from the Randolph Township Police Department Support Services Unit with questions at 973.537.7112.