Back in the day, some would say you could leave your doors unlocked and nothing would happen. But times have changed, and thieves have gotten smarter.
To combat the number of preventable burglaries, the Belton Police Department is taking steps to remind its citizens to lock their doors every night.
It's called the #9PMRoutine. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office in Florida started the social media initiative to reduce the number of preventable burglaries.
"By [9 p.m.], you've probably had your dinner, you've put your kids away. You're probably now hanging out, winding down. Before you settle down and get too comfortable, go ahead and lock your doors. That's going to be our 9 p.m. routine," Belton PD's public safety social media coordinator Candice Griffin said.
The department will share a post on Facebook and Twitter every night at 9 p.m. to remind people to lock their doors.
Belton resident Renda Savage knows all too well what happens when you forget to lock your doors. Someone got into her previous home in Harker Heights through a back window she said she forgot to lock.
"You feel safe once you get inside the house and you feel like, you know, it's my castle. You're sound and secure there," Savage said.
She thinks getting a reminder each night is a great idea.
"You might be preoccupied talking to a friend on the phone. It could just be that right time when someone decides to walk into your home," she said.
Juan Guzman, who lives a few blocks away from Savage, agrees.
"You just can't get too complacent. It's something that could simply be avoided. It's something that you could easily just change and fix," Guzman said.
But it's also important to be vigilant at all times.
"If you see something, say something," he said. "You see anybody that looks sketchy. You see anybody that looks out of place. You know your neighborhood."
The Hewitt and Lacy Lakeview Police Departments have also joined the initiative.
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