Number of burglaries in Columbia are down

From Jan. 1 to Sept. 1, Columbia police said burglary numbers are down from the same time period in 2015.

“There are about 220 less than the year before,” said Officer Latisha Stroer with the Columbia Police Department.

Stroer said she can’t say exactly what accounts for the drop in numbers but said the department hopes it is the increase in available resources online for residents, including watch in passing forms.

“When you are gone you can fill it out so officers can go by and check on those residents while you’re gone,” she said.

Property owners can also fill out a personal property inventory list that includes serial numbers so if they do lose items in a burglary, they can invoke that list for the police and it would make those items easier to find and return.

While a drop in numbers is good news for homeowners, that doesn’t mean burglars will take the holidays off. In the next few months, more people will be heading out of town for holiday trips and that means more homes will be left empty and vulnerable to burglary.

James Shelby and his wife Renee own and operate a security service called Shelby’s Watch. As an ex-police officer, James Shelby said he can observe when something is is out of place.

“I know what to look for where the ordinary person wouldn’t,” he said.

James Shelby said he watches homes, apartments, or even commercial businesses. Once he’s hired, he’ll check on a client’s home several times while they’re gone to make sure no one has broken into the house or something hasn’t gone wrong, like a water main break.

While not everyone can afford a private security service, people can ask trusted friends or neighbors to look in on their house while they’re gone. But James Shelby said it’s still important to know how to prevent a burglary, even if someone is just going to work for the day.

“I think the first thing a person needs to do is take their time, go around and double check windows, doors, your sliding doors,” he said. “Just make sure stuff is locked because if you’re in a hurry, you come back and somebody broke into your house.”

“We had several burglaries over the Christmas break where the locking mechanism did not work on the door or the window, so make sure those do work,” said Stroer.

Both Columbia police and James Shelby said residents should give the impression that the house is being constantly lived in even when they’re on vacation.

“Make sure that you’re lights, your television or your radio is on a timer,” said Stroer.

Shelby also recommends varying up a routine and said when he checks on houses, he doesn’t go back at the same time twice.

Shelby said he will be working overtime in the coming months, and Stroer said officers will also work overtime in both uniform and plainclothes to keep an eye on houses.