NewsLocal News

Actions

SLC Police warn of daytime burglaries spike in Liberty Wells, Sugar House; one arrested

Posted at 9:13 AM, Mar 22, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-22 19:28:25-04

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City Police have made an arrest after a recent spike of daytime burglaries in the Liberty Wells and Sugar House neighborhoods.

On Wednesday, SLCPD posted a local bulletin for people living in those neighborhoods, notifying them of the reported burglaries.

On Thursday afternoon, police announced they have arrested one person who is suspected of committing burglaries in the area. Police did not identify that suspect.

Residents have reported 27 incidents in just 20 days, with a high of six in just one day on March 20.

According to the Salt Lake City Police Department, the burglaries are happening between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The report states the suspects are breaking into the homes through windows, kicking in doors and going through dog doors.

Police are urging residents to keep home and car doors locked, to turn on alarm systems and to secure valuables.

Detective Keith Horrocks with the Salt Lake City Police Department says they’re able to get real-time data with a program called Compustat.

“With the help of compstat, knowing these statistics, now we can put them into play and try to mitigate the crime, but track down who is committing that crime," Horrocks said.

Police can’t say for sure if the rise in daytime burglaries is the result of Operation Rio Grande, but some folks are worried.

“I feel a little powerless in this situation,” said George Shank, who lives in the Liberty Wells area. His neighbor’s home was targeted.

“Middle of the day somebody kicked his back door in and stole some of his stuff," he said. "Nobody was able to catch it. I don`t know what it was that he chose that house instead of mine, but with it being so close in proximity, definitely made me worried.”

Jackie Assad and Alex Davenport also live in Liberty Wells. They are following police’s orders – looking out for suspicious activity and taking precautions.

“We're gonna leave all the gates closed," Davenport said. "Make sure all the windows are locked. We do have the dogs so that really helps a lot."

Police say, generally, there's one or two guys committing these crimes and if they're caught, the crime rate drops. Thursday afternoon, police arrested a burglary suspect. They’re asking people to check their homes for any missing property and report it to police.

Authorities said they would like to speak with anyone who has noticed suspicious activity.