Summer vacation could lead to increased burglary threat without precautions

By Jenna Wilson

With burglaries on the rise last year, law enforcement officers are encouraging residents to protect their homes and help prevent crimes of opportunity this summer.

The 2023 Crime Analysis Report for the city of St. Joseph showed there was a slight increase in burglaries, and the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office warns with more summer traveling and warmer weather, there could be a rise in criminal activity.

“There’s lots of comings and goings in the summer,” said Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett. “There’s generally more absence from the home during the warmer months with traveling and other recreational activities happening, making it easier for people who want to commit crimes to access those places of residence.”

Officers will be doing their part in patrolling the city and targeting high-crime areas, but it’s important for the community to avoid making their homes susceptible to crime.

A few tips the sheriff shared include not posting on social media that you will be away for an extended period, having packages delivered to the nearest postal office and making sure your home is equipped with security cameras.

“Something we see often is residents posting they’re going to be in Hawaii for 10 days and then criminals knows that they have 10 days to go and burglarize or steal from your home,” Puett said. “The best thing that we can always advise is, if you’re going to travel, don’t put anything on social media at all until your return.”

“In terms of security, there are a variety of recording devices and doorbell cameras that are very helpful not just for citizens to monitor their homes but for us to roll back footage and try and catch a suspect if a crime does occur,” he added.

Officers encourage neighbors who see unfamiliar activity and vehicles in their neighborhood to contact law enforcement immediately and try to avoid getting involved until an officer arrives.

“If you see something that doesn’t look right, call us first before you start calling your neighbors and relatives and friends to see if they know any details,” Puett said. “Get law enforcement on the way then you can call your neighbors, but if you wait 30, 40 minutes before you call us, oftentimes times that that suspect who could be up to no good could have already committed that crime and is on their way.

The sheriff’s office and police department offer a residence watch program to check on the homes of travelers who will be out of town for a long time, which can be requested by calling the non-emergency line at (816) 271-4777.