Daytime burglaries of homes in Kyle appear to be more frequent in recent weeks. According to Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett, as of Feb. 9, seven ‘burglary of a habitation’ happened in town since the beginning of the year.
The modus operandi appears to be where an individual rings the doorbell in the front of the house. If no one answers, other persons are breaking windows in the back of the house and entering the premises.
“Then they rummage through the homeowner’s belongings,” Barnett said.
He said the recent burglaries of homes involve the theft of items such as cash, jewelry, guns, gaming systems and other electronics.
Barnett confirmed that Kyle police are working several angles and multiple potential leads on these cases. And while law enforcement agencies check with pawnshops, it’s not always a cut and dry way to locate stolen goods or those involved in the burglary.
“Hearing from the public can help focus our efforts on more productive leads,” he said. “Having specific information such as descriptions of individuals, car models and license plate numbers can lead to finding the perpetrators faster.”
Barnett said his department has reason to believe these incidents involve several people. He said in at least one case, the homeowner was in the house when their doorbell rang.
“This woman didn’t open the door right away,” he said. “The individuals who rang the door bell then walked into her home. When they saw her, they ran away on foot.”
Most of these crimes appear to take place between about 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
“The perpetrators are committing these crimes in the middle of the day,” Barnett said.
Burglary of vehicles is also up, according to Barnett.
“We’ve had 19 cases reported since the beginning of the year,” he said. “They look for anything easy to grab including purses, wallets and laptops.”
These home and vehicle burglaries cut across many neighborhoods in the city.
“We have seen these incidents in Hometown Kyle, Waterleaf, Plum Creek, Silverado and other communities,” Barnett said. “The activity is not concentrated in any one area or sector of Kyle.”
Several recent accounts of suspicious behavior as shared on social media platforms such as Next Door and Facebook indicate a potential for burglary. In these stories, a doorbell rings and the homeowner answers.
“Then the individual at the door asks the homeowner if he or she speaks Portuguese or some other language,” Barnett said. “When the homeowner says no, the individuals walk away.”
He said his department has increased officer presence throughout the city.
“Since Jan. 22, we’ve had an additional 60+ hours of patrol time in Kyle,” he said. “We are also asking all department employees to be on heightened awareness of suspicious activity.”
However, neighbors may be the most effective deterrent, Barnett said, because they may see or hear something as it’s happening and be able to contact police immediately.
What can homeowners do to minimize becoming a victim of a home or car burglary?
Barnett offered several suggestions:
- Lock all doors and windows of homes and vehicles at all times, even when you’re home.
- Keep garage doors closed even when you’re home.
- Alarm systems offer the best deterrent, particularly since they are generally connected to law enforcement.
- Start a neighborhood watch program
If neighbors ban together to form a watch, Barnett recommended they report suspicious activity to police including vehicle license plate numbers, descriptions of individuals and the direction in which they travel. Barnett advises watch groups to avoid any confrontation with suspicious persons.
Some homeowners who commented on social media said they are using video surveillance equipment that is controlled via smart phone.
Barnett said if anyone witnesses a burglary in progress, call 911 and report it to police.
“Dispatchers will ask questions such as the location, physical description, gender and whether the person(s) left on foot or in a vehicle and in what direction,” Barnett said.
Similarly, if you see any suspicious behavior, such as someone ringing your doorbell and then asking if anyone in your home speaks a particular language, close and lock the door and call police.
“It would be helpful to know if there were multiple individuals involved,” Barnett said. “Descriptions including height, hair and skin color, clothing and any unique features such as tattoos or scars would be extremely helpful.”