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WOODMEN EDITION • WEDNESDAY, FEB 10, 2016
String of property crimes rattle northwest residents Thieves target Rockrimmon and Hunter’s Point mailboxes, vehicles BY SUSAN JOY PAUL
On Jan. 22, residents on Oak Valley Drive awoke to find their mailboxes and vehicles had been targeted by thieves. Carlos Carrillo, who works from home, knew something was wrong as soon as he left the house. “It was a nice day so I went for a walk. I looked down my street and most of the mailboxes were open. When I turned onto Oak Valley I noticed more boxes open, and mail scattered all over the street,” he said. Carrillo checked in with some neighbors who verified what he suspected: overnight, thieves had broken into cars and mailboxes in the area and made off with a lot of personal items. Officer Brent Ambuehl is the crime prevention officer for the city’s Falcon district, which covers the northwest part of town. He said, “We’ve had more than 30 documented reports of mail theft in the Falcon area in the past two months, including personal boxes and multifamily boxes, too. They pry the community boxes open from the back.” The problem isn’t just in the Woodmen area. Ambuehl said, “We’re seeing
historical highs in property crime throughout Colorado Springs in general. This includes thefts from cars, residential and commercial burglaries, and mail theft. It’s citywide.” Ambuehl noted there are seasonal trends, and what we’re seeing now is the tailend of the usual holiday season crimes that usually start in October. “These are crimes of opportunity. Thieves target vehicles that are unlocked, and where there are valuables left in view. Some of these guys even follow delivery trucks, and scoop up packages left on doorsteps.” He expects package thefts to decrease, but said the mail thefts continue year-round. And with warming weather, car breakins at trailheads will increase, as well. Ambuehl shared these tips for keeping your property safe: • Don’t leave mail sitting in your mailbox, and if you have to mail anything of value, drive to the post office or use a public postal box. Thieves like to steal credit card offers, and can get your personal informa-
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tion from checks you put in the mail. If you’re going out of town, stop your newspaper and mail delivery, and ask a trusted neighbor to remove flyers from your door. Ambuehl noted this is especially important as we head into the political season, when door hangers and political ads can build up. Don’t leave anything of value visible in your car, and lock all the doors. At trailheads, lock your valuables in the trunk, out of sight, or take them with you. The DMV now provides car owners with two copies of their registration, and only one of them has your address on it. If you keep a copy of your registration in your car, make sure it’s not the one with your address. Ambuehl said, “We had an instance where two guys stole a garage door opener from a car at the Chapel Hills Mall, and using the address on the registration, one guy got into the house through the garage and burglarized the home while the other one stayed in the parking lot to see when the owner came back.” Lock the door between your garage and home, and keep your garage door shut. Ambuehl noted that officers patrolling the northwest side will knock on your door if they notice you’ve left your garage door open overnight. Home burglars like to snatch small items they can carry out quickly, like jewelry, video games and gaming systems, and even handguns that aren’t locked away. “Anything they can throw in a backpack is fair game. They want to get in and out quickly,” Ambuehl said. “Don’t make it easy for them by leaving valuables lying around.” Take photographs of your items, and write down serial and model numbers so if anything is stolen, police can track it down more quickly, especially if it ends
Stacey Martinez retrieves her mail from a multifamily mailbox in the Westlink neighborhood of northwest Colorado Springs. While thieves usually target single-family boxes, they sometimes pry the backs off community boxes like hers for “one-stop shopping.” Photo by Susan Joy Paul
up at a pawn shop. • If you see a crime in progress, Ambuehl notes that you should never confront the perpetrator. “Not all criminals carry a gun, but most of them carry knives and can be very dangerous. Be observant so you can give a good physical description of the person, and the car they’re driving including the license plate, and call 911.” He added that if a property crime has already taken place you can report it to the nonemergency number, 444-7000, but that, “If a crime is in progress don’t try to stop it — call 911.” Ambuehl said that most property crimes aren’t com-
mitted by violent gangs, bored teenagers, drug users, or any other particular group, but by people who specialize in property crime. “It’s what they do, and they’re good at it, and proud of it. When we catch a thief, we usually solve 8 to 10 crimes.” While some residents believe the thefts are a signal that it’s “time move,” Hunter’s Point resident Carrillo disagrees. “The problem isn’t uniquely ours; it’s everywhere. The solution is to get to know your neighbors so it’s easy to pick out who doesn’t belong on your street or cul de sac. I do know my neighbors. They’re hardworking people,” he said. “This is a great community and moving isn’t the answer.”
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