Daytime burglaries on the rise

DOWNEY - In recent months the city of Downey has experienced a rise in the number of daytime residential burglaries reported to the police department. Many of these incidents have occurred in the same fashion and the police department is asking for your help in the prevention of such occurrences.The following is a scenario often used by suspects looking to burglarize homes in your neighborhoods: A suspect may simply walk to the front door of a residence and knock on the door. If someone answers, the suspect will make an excuse for being at the wrong house and walk away. If there is no answer, the suspect will either leave the location before returning a short time later, or make his way into the back or side yard to find a way into the house. Once out of view of the street, he will look for open windows or doors to gain entry into the residence. If the house is locked, the burglar will oftentimes force entry by breaking a window or forcing a door open. A car with additional suspects will oftentimes wait a short distance away for the suspect to return with stolen property. The suspect may also call them to respond to the house to assist in the actual burglary of the location. Because the actions of the burglars are usually not visible from the street, it is difficult for police to discover the crime in progress. Because of this, it's imperative that residents in the area pay close attention to suspicious subjects in their neighborhood. This is especially true if you see someone knock on a door of a residence, then go to the back of the house when they fail to get an answer. If you see people in your neighborhood - whether they are walking or sitting in a vehicle - that you feel may be looking for an opportunity to commit a crime, please call the Downey Police Department. If you have any questions regarding incidents such as these, or would like information regarding burglary prevention, please contact Detective Jerry Price at (562) 904-2359 or Detective Mark Galindo at (562) 904-2326.

********** Published: July 8, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 12