Columbia police: Burglaries up more than 45 percent

Burglaries in Columbia are up more than 45 percent from last year around this time.

Police said there are some “hot spots” where burglaries are happening frequently, but they said no one spot in the city is immune to burglary.

Because burglary numbers are up, CPD has stepped up efforts to spread awareness and solve the cases.

“We actually assigned two detectives from our Criminal Investigations Division specifically to burglary cases and so they are going out every day and handling only those open burglary cases,” said Bryana Larimer with the Columbia Police Department.

And that’s not all.

“We’re also teaming up with the University police department to try to get the message out to students,” Larimer said.

She said there are some similarities in a lot of these burglaries.

“One of the common denominators, and we discussed this back during spring break time as well, is leaving your doors unlocked. Doors, windows and garage doors open,” Larimer said.

While break-ins are happening in all parts of Columbia, police said they are seeing a lot of burglaries in duplexes, especially in the areas along Bearfield Road.

Besides locking your doors, police say closing your blinds during the day is a good precaution to take so no one can see inside your house.

If you see any suspicious activity, you’re encouraged to call police.

For a complete breakdown of crime numbers in the city, click here.