By BROOKE STEVENSON
Sunday Times Newspapers
WYANDOTTE — Police encourage residents to watch for anything suspicious after a series of recent burglaries.
There has been an influx of breaking and entering offenses in the city over the last two weeks, most of which happened in the middle of the day while residents were at work.
Detective Rick Weise said it is not rare to have such burglary spates throughout the year, and the same one or two people often are the ones burglarizing.
“It appears there are a couple random burglaries, but a majority seem as if it is one or two people because of the similarities in the way they operate,” Weise said.
Nine burglaries have occurred since Jan. 8, most at residents’ houses.
Weise said large numbers of burglaries like the current round typically stem from the economy, or because an individual has a drug problem.
On Monday a house in the 2300 block of 22nd was reported broken into. Nothing was taken because the owner was in the process of moving and had nothing of value in the house yet.
Medication and jewelry were stolen from a resident’s bedroom in the 2400 block of 10th sometime during the day on Tuesday.
Also on Tuesday, a $1,000 guitar was stolen out of a house in the 3300 block of 22nd sometime during the day or night before.
About $800 in video game systems and games were stolen sometime between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Jan. 8 from a house in the 1500 block of 10th.
Over $3,000 in handmade jewelry was stolen sometime between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Jan. 8 from an 86-year-old resident of the 150 block of Biddle.
She later advised police that she had “hired” a man in his late teens or early 20s to shovel her snow the week prior, and that she told him she lived alone. He is considered a suspect.
All of the robberies have similar characteristics, leading police to believe they are related.
One similarity among them is that suspects will break a sliding glass door or window to gain entry, and also have entered through unlocked sliding glass doors.
Footprints in the snow also were found around the residences, suggesting the suspects checked all the windows before breaking in. The footprints then would lead to an alley, or into a neighbor’s yard, then disappear.
The timing of many of the burglaries may mean that some might be prevented by residents’ vigilance.
They’re happening when people are at work,” Weise said. “Neighbors should keep a lookout for anything suspicious.” He said residents should be alert to people who look out of place or unusual in a neighborhood.
“If you see something suspicious, call us,” he said. “The majority of the time, that is how we catch people.
“A lot of people won’t call when they see something suspicious because they say they ‘feel stupid.’ They shouldn’t feel stupid; their calls are how we can find out what is going on.”
Even if the call doesn’t result in any action against the suspicious individual, police will have their names and information in their computer system so the person can be checked out.
Residents are encouraged to stay alert, keep their doors and windows locked and to not overlook anything.