Kent Police are seeking the public’s help to solve a recent series of home break-ins. Investigators believe that as many as 60 Kent families have been targeted each month during this wave of activity.

In response, the Kent Police Department has formed a special task force to identify suspects, while also educating residents on how to prevent becoming a victim, according to a June 7 Kent Police media release.

The task force is comprised of uniformed officers, detectives, a crime analyst, and community education specialists, and has identified several factors to include:

• The majority of break-ins are occurring in East Kent residential areas.

• Most burglaries have occurred between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. Not surprisingly this is when most residents are at work.

• Suspects are casing homes by knocking on doors to check for occupants, and then moving to the back of the house to break a window or glass door.

There are several ways that the community can help. Residents are urged to immediately report all suspicious activity by calling 911. Police want to know about:

• Unfamiliar people walking through neighborhoods with or without backpacks.

• School-aged youth wandering neighborhoods during school hours.

• Unfamiliar cars parked on neighborhood streets with or without occupants.

• People seen leaving the front door of a house and walking around the back.

Just last week, a group of burglars were arrested when they knocked on a door, a resident answered, and they asked for a random person. It didn’t seem right and this alert neighbor called 911 and officers responded. The subjects were contacted by officers a short time later in the process of breaking into an unoccupied residence in the neighborhood.

Since beginning the community education campaign and task force emphasis patrols, Kent Police have seen a decline in residential burglary calls; only six residential burglaries were reported across the city last week. There have been a total of 23 arrests for residential burglaries since the inception of the task force.

The Kent Police Community Education Unit reminds everyone that burglars look for opportunities to break into homes. Don’t leave windows and doors open when the weather gets warm. Be sure to check and double check your windows and doors every time you leave your home or if they are not in your sight while at home.

For more crime prevention tips on keeping you and your home safe, visit www.kentpoliceceu.com.

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