There has been a slight increase in the number of home burglaries and cars that have been broken into or stolen and a decrease in breaking and entering in commercial business during the first nine months of the year compared to the same period last year, according to the Newton Police Department.
Most of the incidents could have been prevented if residents took basic precautions such as locking their cars and not leaving their keys in them and checking that windows and doors in the home are locked, Detective Captain Jeffrey Boudreau said.
In one recent incident, Boudreau said, a wallet was stolen from a purse that was left on a shelf near an unlocked front door. And in another case, it appeared that a suspect entered a home through a second floor window and stole cash and jewelry.
There have been 22 home break-ins so far this year compared to 13 during the first nine months of 2023. In that same period, car break-ins jumped from 53 to 68, stolen cars increased from 18 to 22, and commercial burglaries decreased from 20 to 14.
Boudreau said residents should report crimes to police as soon as possible and strongly recommended in case of burglaries that homeowners not disturb or clean-up the area around the crime scene before investigators can check for possible evidence.
In one recent case, police found a drop of blood on a piece of broken window glass and were able to identify and charge a suspect with the DNA in the blood.
In an effort to educate the community on steps residents can take to prevent crimes, Lt. Amanda Henrickson, commander of the Community Services Bureau, said Newton police are promoting educational outreach campaigns to remind people of the importance of staying vigilant and taking proactive measures to secure their property.
One initiative, the “9 p.m. Routine,” is designed to encourage residents to do a personal reminder every evening through notices in Mayor Ruthanne Fuller’s weekly newsletter and posts on social media sites.
“Hopefully, while people are sitting on their couches scrolling on their phones,” Henrickson said, “they will see a graphic from the Newton police that says: ‘it is 9 o’clock. Did you lock your car doors? Did you remove your valuables from your car and lock the doors? Did you leave a ladder that you used cleaning leaves from your gutter near a window?’”
While all these ideas seem basic, Boudreau added, they would eliminate most of the break-ins of homes and cars in the city.