Police chief warns of rash of burglaries and thefts
Staff writer
“We have taken reports of five cases of burglary and theft from local residents since early May,” Peabody Police Chief Bruce Burke said Monday.
He also noted that Peabody officers have taken more than the usual number of reports about suspicious behavior in several neighborhoods.
Burke said all the cases are in various stages of investigation and he was not able to make specific comments about any of them.
However, he wanted to urge residents once again to be more vigilant about who is in their neighborhood and to keep their houses, cars, garages, and outbuildings locked.
“People feel safer in a small town and sometimes think because they are just going to run to the store or go watch the kids at the pool, that there is no risk,” he said. “While that might have been true to some extent years ago, it is not so true today.
“Reporting something — or someone — that seems out of place is usually a smart thing to do,” he added. “Then an official report is on record and our officers are aware of the possibility of future activity in a given area.”
Burke also said that if a resident feels more comfortable leaving an anonymous tip, there is a place to do so on the city’s website at http://www.peabodyks.com.
There also is a “vacation watch” program to let officers know when residents are out of town, with forms available at the city building and Police Department to alert officers about folks who are not home.
People should contact police immediately if they feel a burglary or theft has been committed or if they observe a person behaving in a suspicious manner. The local number to report an incident is (620) 983-2133 or dial 911.