Light Rain, 76° F
Through April, Powell has had 52 property crimes — 13 more than at the same point last year.
However, for context, 2008 represented the lowest property crime rate in two decades; there were 57 such crimes through April of …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
The Powell Tribune has expanded its online content. To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free web account by clicking here.
If you already have a web account, but need to reset it, you can do so by clicking here.
If you would like to purchase a subscription click here.
Please log in to continue |
|
Powell's police chief believes the city may be seeing the beginnings of an uptick in property crime.But rather than waiting for a bad trend to develop, Chief Tim Feathers recommends that folks be a little more cautious with their property.
Through April, Powell has had 52 property crimes — 13 more than at the same point last year.
However, for context, 2008 represented the lowest property crime rate in two decades; there were 57 such crimes through April of 2007.
“The numbers aren't really out of line,” Feathers said.
The trend he is concerned with is a wider variety of theft — from stolen bikes, to shoplifting, to employee theft.
“One thing we're starting to see pop up that we haven't seen in a couple years is burglaries,” said Feathers.
Coming off a year of pleasantly low property crime, Feathers is uninterested in seeing the rate return to higher averages.
“We definitely want to keep it down there,” he said, adding, “The best thing is just good ol' theft prevention 101.”
Residents should lock their home and car doors, keep garage doors closed and keep an eye out for suspicious behavior.
Further, leaving a spare key to your property in a common, obvious place — like under a rock by the door — makes an easy target for would-be burglars.
Preventative steps are also a good idea because summer is nearly here. Almost unfailingly, warmer temperatures bring more crime.
That's not because warmth inspires misconduct, but rather because more people are out and about — including those up to no good.
Additionally, the chief said there's historically been a “loose connection — and I won't give it any more credit than that,” between rough economic climates and property crime.
“I would not be surprised if we see this trend continue and if we see a broader range of theft,” he said.
Of course, not all recent property crimes have been particularly worrisome.
A May 1 residential burglary was determined to be the work of neighboring children.
“Just 8-year-old kids doing what 8-year-old kids do sometimes,” said Feathers.
Rather than facing a judge, the chief said they ended up answering to their parents.
