This month in a single apartment complex nearby, 30 home burglaries were reported. In Lake Highlands, homeowners have also been burglarized, usually during the day. Is this type of crime increasing, or are we just hearing more about it?

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This type of crime is certainly nothing new. It’s typical for them to break into homes during the day. It’s less likely at night or on the weekend, when people are home.

I think we may be hearing about it more, especially when a home is burglarized in an area that normally doesn’t have a lot of crime. In the Northeast Division, we are up in home burglaries about 3 percent from last year. Granted, anytime a home is hit, it’s bad. But citywide, only one district has seen a lower increase than us. Some districts are seeing a 30 to 40 percent increase in home burglaries.

We have uniformed and plainclothes police out in the neighborhoods and especially anywhere where there has been a crime issue. We are up in the number of arrests we’ve made this year. And the thing with an arrest — any one can have a big impact. For instance, one person might be responsible for 10 or more of those apartment-complex break ins. Another challenge is keeping them in jail.

Neighborhood Volunteer in Patrol (VIP) groups absolutely make a difference when it comes to stopping these criminals. We’ve actually had members spot burglars in the act. We train VIPs here at the station on what to look for, how to prevent crimes and how to handle situations.

Also, people can check out engravers from the police station. It’s a good idea to engrave your driver’s license number into your property items. That way, you have a much better chance of recovering property if it’s ever stolen. It also gives the police evidence if they arrest someone with stolen items.

To volunteer for a neighborhood VIP, contact your neighborhood association.