Welcome to Our Website

The overall philosophy of the Southwestern Regional Police Department is to provide the most professional police services possible in a fiscally responsible manner. We will achieve this by being innovative and progressive in our approach to solving problems. All employees will be tasked with this responsibility and be given the authority and the tools to accomplish these tasks.

We will not forget that the input of the residents' concerns and desires will guide this department. Being open to new ideas, being responsive to those ideas, and always looking to improve, is ultimately important. By working with residents, business owners, and all others involved in the criminal justice process, our goals are to reduce crime, disorder and to provide a safe community in which to live, work, and play.

The Southwestern Regional Police Department is a full service law enforcement agency that began serving residents in Heidelberg Township, North Codorus Township and Manheim Township on 1 July 2002. As of 1 April 2003, the department started providing service to Spring Grove Borough. The department patrols an area that is primarily located in the south west corner of York County Pennsylvania and covers over 71 square miles.

Tips To Keep Your Home From Being Burglarized

Homeowners are increasingly becoming easy targets for burglars. According to the statistics reported by the FBI, “burglary accounted for 21.2% of the estimated number of property crimes committed in 2005.” Moreover, 62.4% of all residential burglaries took place during the day. Statistics such as these are enough to make homeowners take steps and precautions to protect their homes and families at all times. Home security does not require a lot of time-money investment. All it needs is a watchful and alert approach and taking some simple yet effective steps to deter burglars and vandals.

Home Security Booklet

What Burglars Are After

Most homes are extremely vulnerable to burglaries during the December holidays. The reason for this is simple – families may be traveling or away for long periods of time and homes are usually filled with high value items. However, this in no way means that robberies and burglaries do not happen during other months. According to data from the FBI, insurance companies, and burglar alarm companies, burglars are active pretty much throughout the year. Some of the most frequently stolen items include:

Items that can be easily sold such as tools, bicycles and toys.
Electronic goods and gadgets such as cameras, CDs, DVDs, computers and tapes.
Expensive items such as furs, gold and other precious stones or metal.

Other items that burglars frequently pick include:

Rare and expensive collectibles such as coins, stamps, records, fine art and antiques.
Personal use items including clothes, accessories, perfume, cosmetics and jewelry.
Items that are high value and cannot be easily traced such as ammunition, appliances, luggage and leather goods, sporting goods, watches, wine, liquor and beer.
In addition, burglars frequently steal currency, securities, electronic games, televisions and stereos from homes all across the country and through the year.

How to Protect Your Home

Over 50% of home burglaries are termed by police as "no force" entries. Open windows and unlocked doors make easy targets.

Leaving your home unsecured is an open invite for home break-ins. Get in the habit of making sure all accessible windows and doors are locked when you leave the house, even if it is just for a quick stop at a neighbors. It is also safest to make sure all doors are locked when you are home as well. It only takes a few minutes for someone to enter and exit a house they notice is unattended

The need for homeowners to protect their homes and belongings is greater than ever. All over the country, burglaries are on the rise due to the vulnerability of homes and the easy accessibility that most homes offer to burglars. So, the question that arises is how can homeowners act to protect their homes and belongings from being stolen.

While, it may be difficult to completely secure a home from burglaries, one can easily take adequate steps to create barriers that deter burglars or make a burglary tough or time-consuming. In other words, invest some time and effort in taking measures that will make possible burglaries difficult.

Homeowners can begin by looking at their home with the eyes of a burglar. In other words, consider the location of the home from various angles. Is the home isolated or surrounded by other homes? Does it provide secluded nooks and dark corners for a burglar to hide in or escape from? Is the house adequately lit or relatively dark? Burglars will look at these things when identifying potential targets.

Next, homeowners need to consider the all-important factor of home security. Does the house have proper security systems in place? It is absolutely essential for owners to securely lock up all doors and windows when leaving the house. Moreover, homes with sliding glass doors and windows are particularly vulnerable to burglaries and therefore, homeowners should take adequate steps to secure these. A simple yet measure is to use key-operated pins or grips to secure such doors and windows. Since the house should always be well lit to create the impression of people within, one should leave a light on inside before leaving home.

Since holidays and vacations are boom time for burglars, it is important that homeowners take preventive steps to protect their house and belongings. Simple steps such as informing close friends or a trusted neighbor and having them keep an eye on the house, notifying the local police about your absence, canceling the newspaper and having an automatic timer for the lights may prove to be deterrents for burglars on the prowl. In addition, one can ask someone to mow the lawn and pick up the mail as well to avoid giving the impression of an empty house.

Home Security Booklet