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Reports of burglaries up in first quarter

By Mark Bell

March 28, 2011

MURFREESBORO – Gerry McMahon felt violated and enraged when he entered his Spring Street home earlier this month to find more than $1,000 of his property missing.

McMahon and a roommate are leasing one of eight homes in an area of North Spring Street that have been hit by burglars this year, according to incident reports on file at the Murfreesboro Police Department.

North Spring Street is among several neighborhoods between Northwest Broad Street, Middle Tennessee Boulevard, Memorial Boulevard and East Clark Boulevard that have been heavily affected by burglaries since Jan. 1, crime data collected from the MPD shows. The neighborhood was also hit many times by burglars in 2010.

In all, more than 425 burglaries were reported to Murfreesboro Police officers all across the city between Jan. 1 and March 14. By comparison, about 395 burglaries had occurred during the same period in 2010, according to the data. More than 2,300 burglaries were reported to the department by the end of 2010.

The stories of most burglary victims are similar, Murfreesboro incident reports show. Many go to work or shop for a few hours and return home to notice an item missing, a broken window or a door that has been kicked in.

McMahon recalled walking into his home around midnight March 3, where he noticed his roommate's bedroom door standing open.

"I knew that he always kept it closed, whether he is at home or not, and I knew immediately that somebody had broken in," McMahon said, adding he then walked through his home to see what was missing — something that MPD doesn't recommend.

MPD spokesman Kyle Evans said it's safer for citizens to wait for an officer to clear the home first.

Picture at Left: Rutherford County Detective Steve Brown stands among $250K in stolen property after the arrest of two burglary suspects in 2010.

"If someone returns home and believes his or her home has been burglarized we advise that person to remain outside as there could still be a criminal in the home and that could result in a dangerous confrontation," Evans said. "Call 911 immediately and wait in a safe place for police to arrive."

Police later told McMahon that it appeared that the burglar who hit his home had likely left in a hurry, spooked by the sound of McMahon's vehicle pulling into the driveway, McMahon told The DNJ.

"I was angry that day and you wouldn't have liked to be around me," he said.

Electronics and jewelry seem to be the primary targets for most home burglars, MPD incident reports show. McMahon's case was no different, as the burglar made off with his $1,000 laptop and an Xbox 360 gaming system.

Guns are also primary targets, incident reports show. Three guns have been stolen from three homes on Spring Street this year alone, including McMahon's .38-caliber revolver. Evans said those guns are likely to end up in the hands of criminals, who will then use them to commit more crimes.

"Guns should always be locked in a safe place inside the home and ammo stored separately," he said. "It will be less likely to be used against the owner in the event they walk in on the burglar."

Unfortunately for McMahon and other burglary victims, the FBI reported in 2010 that only 12.7 percent of burglary cases reported to local law enforcement agencies are solved.

Evans said most burglaries are particularly challenging to investigators because there is usually little or no physical evidence to collect at the scene of the crime.

"Jewelry is difficult to track as it can be melted down or sold because there is no serial number on many items," he said.

Despite the staggering odds, Evans said, the MPD utilizes a variety of methods to help prevent burglaries and help catch those who have committed them. They include Neighborhood Watch, marked and unmarked patrols, special watches, and special techniques employed by the department's Crime Suppression Unit.

"Detectives use a variety of techniques to catch burglars, including the use of unmarked vehicles for surveillance, and pawn shop details to check for stolen items," Evans said.

The department also monitors geographic trends in burglaries and deploys resources accordingly, he added.

"The (downtown) area ... has been on our radar as well as other areas of town," Evans said. "Burglary is a problem that can move to different areas overnight, so we monitor those trends."

Perhaps the best way to fight burglaries, according to Evans, is to prevent one from occurring in the first place. There are many steps that can be taken to help prevent the burglary of your home.

"For instance, if one is going on vacation, have someone pick up your newspapers and mail so that they do not accumulate outside and alert burglars of your absence," Evans said. "Also, you may request a special watch on your home and officers will increase patrols in your area. Contact dispatch at 615-893-1311 two days before you leave."

If you can afford one, Evans said, it's also important to have an alarm system.

More basic precautions include making sure your doors and windows are locked when you leave your home, even if it is only for a few minutes, the spokesman added.

"A home can be burglarized in no time at all," Evans said. "You would be surprised at the number of burglaries we work where someone was only gone for a few minutes or an hour and a door or window was left unlocked."

Sometimes taking all the proper steps to prevent a burglary still won't stop a determined burglar, according to police.

"In case of that, it's wise to take some precautions that will help you get your property back should a criminal successfully break into your home," Evans said. "Make a list of your belongings and be sure to keep receipts for expensive items like stereos and computers. Be sure to update this list periodically and write down serial numbers on electronics and other items, as well as take photographs of or videotape your possessions."

Evans noted that the Murfreesboro Police Department participates in the LeadsOnline Report It program that allows people to record serial numbers and images of jewelry, electronics and any other valuable items on the web. Residents wishing to register for the program should visit reportit.leadsonline.com for more information.

"MPD has utilized LeadsOnline for almost five years, resulting in many successes using the system," Evans said. "Investigators have recovered thousands of dollars in stolen property, including a case of stolen antique musical instruments valued at $17,000. In that case, using the Leads Online system, detectives were able to identify and return the stolen items to the owner as well as prosecute the case."

For more information on LeadsOnline.com call (800) 331-2656
For information on LeadsOnlabs.com call (888) 994-7771