By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
A string of approximately 20 residential burglaries
committed by the same individual have occurred in the last
three months and have Nephi City Police Officers concerned
enough that the department is offering a $1,000 reward for
information leading to the arrest of the burglar.
Chad Bowles, Nephi City Police Chief, officers have
accumulated a great deal of information from the various
crime scenes and only need to catch the burglar. Police have
enough details to make a court case which should result in
prison time for the criminal.
"It is frustrating, to us, as police officers, that
these burglaries are going on. We have nearly caught the
thief a couple of times and just need the help of neighbors
to finally get our man, he said. In his estimation, the
thief is a "total maggot who would steal from his own
grandmother."
The person needs to be stopped and put in jail.
"There is nothing much worse than having your home
violated," said Bowles. "You lose an element of trust and
comfort that will never return."
Just the idea of a stranger gaining access, going
through personal items, and having been inside is forever
frightening. Just because a burglar has not hurt anyone to
this point doesn't mean that given the opportunity that
won't happen. Burglars who are cornered cannot be
trusted.
"We would appreciate residents calling us if they have
noticed any suspicious activity," Bowles said. "They will
not even need to tell us their name."
Bowles said he thinks that some people may not call
because they think they will waste the time of officers
checking out something that may not prove to be
worthwhile.
Others do not call because they are afraid they may be
called upon to testify in court.
Both reasons should be discounted.
"We are never to busy to check out a call," said
Bowles. "I would rather have an officer respond and find out
nothing was wrong than not be called and find out that a
crime had been committed that could have been stopped."
In addition, said Bowles, unless an individual dials
911 their address and name do not come up on a screen at the
sheriff's dispatch center nor at the city police department
office. "Unless they tell us who they are, we won't know, so
if they want to remain anonymous, they will."
Officer Bruce Beal, who is investigating the many
burglaries, said he is hoping that someone will come forward
but, more than that, he is hoping neighbors will pull
together and watch out for one another.
"If you see something happening at your neighbor's
house that seems different to you, call us and report it,"
said Beal.
Bowles said that a neighborhood watch program needed
to be used in that all the neighbors should have a good idea
of whether their next door neighbor was on a trip or not. A
neighbor, even across the street, could be altered when
their neighbor was going to be away.
"Even more important," said Bowles, "homeowners should
contact us when they are going to be away. That way I can
assign officers to make extra patrols in that
neighborhood."
Recently, for example, an officer noticed a young man
trying to get into a home. He stopped and made the man show
him a driver's license. It turned out that the young man
belonged at the home and had forgotten his door key.
However, it was better for the person to have been
checked.
"We hope, while we are doing these extra patrols, that
if one of you (townspeople) get stopped or are asked for
identification that you do not get angry or upset but just
realize that we are tying to protect the community."
Most of the burglaries have occurred in the hours from
6 p.m. to 10 p.m., said Bowles. However, that does not mean
that the burglar will not change the time to a different one
once he becomes aware the police are watching.
"A burglary can be committed in 10 minutes," said
Bowles. "This burglar gets in the house, knows where money
is usually kept in a home, gets what he wants and gets
out."
One homeowner called the police when he noticed a
door-to-door salesman knock on the front door of a home.
When no one responded, the salesman tried the door. "Be even
more suspicious if the individual then goes around to the
back of the house."
In this case, the salesman was arrested and cited. The
man did not have a local business license, another clue that
a sales person is not on the up and up, he said.
"This is no longer a city of 3,500 but has grown to
about 6,000 residents," said Bowles. "That means that not
everyone knows everyone as they did in the past."
It is time, said Beal, for residents of the community
to realize that they need to be more cautious. "They need to
lock up, they need to watch out for their neighbors, and
they need to be less trusting."
If someone they don't know is jogging around the
neighborhood or is cruising around in a car, they might be
suspicious. In addition, if someone is poking around a
residence going to the backyard, trying the doors, they
should notice and call police.
Some of the homes have been broken into, in others,
people have just left doors unlocked, windows unlocked and
have practically issued an invitation.
"At this time of year, especially, people keep cash
around the house," said Bowles. "They shouldn't. Money
should be kept in a bank. The burglar is even taking cash,
like $20 or $30, from people who cannot really afford to
lose that much&emdash;to them it is hard-earned and hard to
come by&emdash;to him it is easy cash."
Bowles said the entire community needs to work with
the police to stop the burglar.
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