The Madison Police Department briefed UW students and residents in a meeting at Memorial Union Wednesday about crime and safety issues in the downtown area.

In light of recent burglaries in the area over the past few months, MPD officers presented simple, effective techniques that downtown residents can use to prevent theft.

“A lot of this burglary crime is very much opportunistic,” said MPD Central District Capt. Mary Schauf. “It’s go through the building, check every door, find an open door, walk in, if you’re confronted you act like you’re supposed to be there … it’s all very normal.”

Schauf said locking doors, even when at home, is necessary to ensure safety. She also said reporting suspicious persons and behavior to police could significantly help deter the recent trend in burglaries.

“If we could just get people to lock their doors, we could probably cut these burglaries in half,” she said.

According to police, laptops are the most commonly stolen item, along with other small electronic devices. These items tend to be stolen from homes, often in the middle of the day and even while residents are home, or from coffee shops and other public areas.

“This is a high-tech town—everybody’s got a laptop,” MPD Lt. Joe Balles said. “So subsequently, whenever you have a commodity like that, you’re going develop black markets for this property to be fenced and moved around.”

Balles also urged students to report underground laptop sales so police may better fight the frequency of such thefts.

Police informed students that landlords are obliged by state law to provide locks on all windows and doors in rental properties. Students can turn to the Tenant Resource Center or Madison Building Inspection if they have questions or problems regarding such guidelines.