A rash of reported burglaries has hit the south end of Grand Forks in recent weeks, but overall the city is on pace to experience far fewer burglaries in 2017 than in recent years.
Grand Forks Police have taken 74 burglary reports since Jan. 17, the Herald found in a review of department records. Last year, the department recorded 312 burglaries, a 36 percent increase from 2015.
A review of the reported burglaries found the majority, 37, occurred in the southeast quadrant of the city, which the Herald defined as south of DeMers Avenue and East of Columbia Road. Eleven burglaries each were reported in the northeast and northwest quadrants of the city, with 12 reported in the southwest quadrant.
June has been the biggest month for burglaries so far, with 20 calls for service with police incident reports as of June 30.
Several of those burglaries were reported in southeast Grand Forks, east of Belmont Road between 24th Avenue South and 32nd Avenue South.
ADVERTISEMENT
Police Lt. Brett Johnson said the department has not made any arrests related to two burglary outbreaks believed to have occurred overnight on May 30 and June 17 in south Grand Forks.
“These are crimes of opportunity in as much as we suspect … they’re going through neighborhoods and trying doors,” he said.
None of the reported burglaries in the June burst in the southeast part of town were forced entries, Johnson said, but instead have come from unlocked doors or open garages.
Burglaries often occur in bursts, with thieves pilfering through stretches of neighborhoods seeking easy targets.
Thieves are taking a wide range of items including wallets, televisions and prescription pills.
“It all depends on the thief and what they’re after,”Johnson said.
Police boost patrols in areas where burglars have struck and also try to anticipate where they might strike next, Johnson said. They also try to log reportedly stolen items with pawn shops in case the thieves try to sell the merchandise.
ADVERTISEMENT
The specialized resource bureau offers free burglary consulting to homes and businesses in Grand Forks. Mostly, police advise people to lock doors and windows, trim bulky bushes and install exterior lighting to deter would be burglars.
