Crime & Safety

Car Thefts, Burglaries Up in Belmont

Belmont police urge residents to make sure they secure cars and homes.

Belmont police are urging residents to secure their vehicles and homes as the number of recent car thefts and burglaries are on the rise in town.

Since March 1, there have been 24 stolen vehicles in Belmont, most of which have been Hondas or Acuras, and 11 of which have been recovered, Police Lt. Kevin Daley said.

As far as the cause of the recent spike in theft, Daley was not able to pinpoint a specific reason.

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"It could be a lot of things," Daley said Wednesday. "Sometimes these things just go in cycles. Sometimes there are groups of individuals out there who do this. It's hard to say. We've made some arrests in some of these cases and recovered some stolen property, and normally, that will kind of put an end to it. But we've really just been seeing a pretty steady amount of thefts and burglaries over the past few months."

"It happens every few years," Daley added. "I can't remember when we've seen this many but I would estimate every couple of years."

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In addition to the 24 stolen vehicles, Daley said the number of thefts and burglaries have also increased since March 1.

"We've had 25 vehicle burglaries," Daley said. "We've had 88 thefts. Close to half of those have been from vehicles that are unlocked."

Daley also revealed that 22 residential burglaries have occurred in that same timeframe. 

Burglary occurs when a car or home is completely locked with the windows secure. Theft is when either the doors or windows, or both, of a car or home are left open.

The theft phenomenon is one that police are pushing the most for Belmont residents to avoid.

"Don't make yourself a victim," Daley said. "Keep your doors locked, keep your windows locked, keep your shrubbery cut down so that people can see around your house. Make sure your neighbors know to keep an eye out for each other. And let the Police Department know if you're going on vacation so we can drive by the house."

There is currently an electronic sign on Ralston Avenue near that reads, "Don't make yourself a victim," and reminds residents to lock their car doors, and Daley also commented that the Belmont Police Department is willing to offer as much help as possible to avoid any further thefts or burglaries.

"The Police Department would be happy to meet with people in groups to go over security and talk about better ways to secure your house and your car," he said.


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