Below is another good email from Lt. Timmons about recent burglaries (6 paragraphs)...

We have been seeing an increase in thieves using a particular tactic to break into homes. They walk up and knock on the door, if you answer they ask about yard work or ask to talk to someone you don’t know. When you answer the door, they leave quickly and go to another house a block or two away to try again.

If you don’t answer the door, they go into the back yard, knock again, and if no answer, they kick in the door. Once in, they may open your garage to pull their vehicle inside or just carry everything to their car (usually a borrowed or stolen car, often taken during a previous burglary.)

If someone knocks on your door, please try to look out and see the vehicle they are driving. It’s up to you whether you answer the door, however, if you don’t answer and they go to the backyard, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY and stay on the phone with the 911 call-taker!People with legitimate business do not wander off into strangers backyards. If it’s a meter reader, he won’t knock and he should be carrying a clipboard or more often, a digital meter reader machine.

We have recently arrested an entire crew of young men who were using this technique and recovered several stolen vehicles from them. The stolen gray 2014 Dodge Charger they were using was traded for drugs and we haven’t yet found it. Please don’t leave your keys in the car (even a spare set).

One vehicle that we are interested in finding is a white, 2001 Ford Expedition, bearing Ark License 277-TZD. If you see this vehicle, please call the police and report it as suspicious.

One last thing, we’ve learned that many of our young thieves are selling their stolen electronics on the street to passers-by. So, if you pull onto a fast food lot, or any other parking lot and see someone selling TV’s or X-boxes, or other electronics from their car, please write down the license number and car description and call or email me. Don’t confront them, just let us know so we can start some follow-up. Being our eyes and ears out there is extremely helpful.

Lt. Scott Timmons
LRPD NorthWest Division

Quoted:
If you're in my backyard and you don't look like a utility-man or a kid fetching a ball, you're probably going to be doing some 'splainin at the pointy end of a stick you don't want to be looking down...

Quoted:
Any info regarding which particluar areas of LR have been affected by this particular scheme?