A rash of auto burglaries have Starkville police officers once again warning citizens to lock their cars.
Fourteen auto burglaries were reported to the SPD between May 9-13. Lt. Mark Ballard said the vast majority of the burglaries could be chalked up to unlocked doors. He said burglars are rummaging through unmarked cars stealing everything from GPS units, to firearms, to spare change.
Some of the cars had electronic items or money in plain view, which made the vehicles easy targets.
The vast majority of the burglaries, he said, have taken place in the late evening hours in the areas of Plantation Homes, Critz Street and Sherwood Forest. The SPD suspects some of the burglaries are being perpetrated by juveniles on foot or on bicycles checking cars in parking lots for unlocked doors.
No arrests have been made but he says officers are looking at the usual suspects.
“We had a wave of burglaries from December to January. We implemented programs and a lot of individuals were locked up. Now a lot of those suspects have posted bond and are out now awaiting trial,” said Ballard. “If you see anybody strange on your street, don”t hesitate to call us.”
The SPD advises citizens to make sure their keys are not left in the ignition of their cars for any period of time and that no valuable items are left in vehicles. Serial numbers and other identifying information should be documented for valuable items and some electronic items offer downloadable applications to track them if they are stolen.
Anyone with information regarding these crimes can call the SPD at 662-323-0393 or Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 1-800-530-7151.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.