If you have anything that is not nailed down, it might get stolen as burglary and theft has been on the rise, explains McDonough County Sheriff Nick Petitgout:
“Right now, we have seen a real uptick in your copper and metal and scrap type thefts. I believe a lot of this type of behavior is used to purchase drugs to fund a drug habit, but yes, if you have stuff lying around, if you have scrap metal that you haven’t taken to scrap yourself or you have copper laying around, it will get stolen right now. We have been watching that trend the last couple of months.”
Don’t make yourself a target. Monmouth Police Chief Joe Switzer stresses the importance of locking your houses, garages, sheds, and cars:
“It is something that continues to happen. Don’t leave your things out for other people to come along and take. There are people out in the wee hours of the morning that are walking around and specifically looking for an easy target. Again, lock your doors, lock your garage doors, lock your vehicles. Don’t leave anything of any value in your vehicle that is sitting out on the street because that is the leads people are looking for.”
Officers are out patrolling the streets 24/7. Take the first line of defense and lock up your belongings.
**Written by WMOI/WRAM Director of Communications Kelsey Crain**
