Over the past 10 weeks, burglars have been tearing into homes and businesses across Pierce County, stealing TVs, computer equipment and other valuable items.
Residents in unincorporated Pierce County, University Place and Edgewood have reported 754 burglaries to the Sheriff’s Department since Oct. 1.
Of those, 459 have been to residences in unincorporated Pierce County, sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said Thursday. In Edgewood, 22 homes have been burglarized. In University Place, 37 homes have been hit.
“We are getting killed in burglaries and property crimes,” he said.
The Sheriff’s Department has made 26 arrests on burglary charges.
“We are trying to make a dent in it, but it is out pacing us,” Troyer said.
The department handled 3,167 burglaries last year and 2,958 in 2009, according to an annual statewide crime report.
Burglars have spared no neighborhood across the county, but have taken a special interest in University Place in recent months.
“We are getting hit very hard in University Place,” Troyer said.
Most of the burglaries occur during the day. Thieves have kicked doors off their frames, grabbed televisions and rifled through personal belongings before leaving, Troyer said.
Of the 518 residential burglaries in unincorporated Pierce County, University Place and Edgewood, 318 have shown signs of forced entry, Troyer said.
He advised residents to be aware of suspicious vehicles and activity on their residential streets.
“Get license plates of suspicious activity,” he said.
He also advised residents to lock their doors and shut their garage doors.
“Make your house less of a target,” he added.
Stacey Mulick: 253-597-8268 stacey.mulick@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/crime
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