WASHINGTON – Some of the most common crimes of the summer months were way down in Loudoun County this year, after the social-media campaign the sheriff’s office instituted in June, the sheriff said.
It’s called the #9PMRoutine, and the program is aimed at reducing crime by using tools such as Facebook and Twitter to remind residents to lock up every night.
Simple steps — locking your car doors and closing your garage — are the key factors, said Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman.
“From June to August of this year versus last year, what we’ve seen is a 31 percent decrease in thefts from vehicles, which is really one of the main problems that we had during the summer months,” Chapman said.
It’s a national program Sheriff Chapman says they’ll be bringing back again next year. It’s also one he says serves as a good reminder for residents everywhere: Lock up every night to avoid becoming a victim.
“You can be a victim of a crime at any time during the year, obviously, and what we want to do is make sure people keep these pointers in mind: Lock up your car; lock up your house; lock up your garage; don’t leave things of value outside. Don’t make it easy for the criminals out there.”
Some of the recent tweets the sheriff’s office sent out to remind people to lock up:
Enjoying a movie on this rainy Saturday night? Hit the pause button and take time to make sure your 🚘 & 🏡 are locked and your garage door is closed. Can you name the movie in this gif?
— Loudoun Co. Sheriff (@LoudounSheriff)
Have a strong defense each and every night! Lock your 🚗 & 🏠 & close your garage door before you go to bed.
— Loudoun Co. Sheriff (@LoudounSheriff)
Larcenies down 31% from Summer 2017 when was introduced! Keep up the good work ! Lock 🔐 it 🚗 🏡 up every night!
— Loudoun Co. Sheriff (@LoudounSheriff)
Big news – thanks to our loyal followers of the ! Larcenies from vehicles down sharply since last summer. More details tomorrow. Keep it up ! Lock up your 🏠 🚗 & close your garage before you go to bed tonight.
— Loudoun Co. Sheriff (@LoudounSheriff)
