NEWS

Rash of thefts has cops offering tips on social media

Spenser Hickey The Marion Star

MARION – Thefts from homes and vehicles increase as the temperature rises, according to Major Jon Shaffer of the Marion Police Department. Officers took to Facebook to offer tips on securing garages in particular after several reports of thefts.

“It shouldn’t have to be a concern, but since it is, we recommend shutting garage doors,” Shaffer said.

There have been 188 total theft offenses — including break-ins and thefts from unsecured property — so far this month; April had 231.

“It can be very difficult (to find a suspect) depending on the evidence left behind,” Shaffer said.

DNA evidence was used for the case of Richard Rollison, who is alleged to have committed four separate break-ins and was recently indicted by a grand jury on those charges.

Even when there’s DNA evidence, it must be processed and connected to someone in the system.

“It takes time. It’s not like stuff you see on TV,” Shaffer said.

In addition to locking garages, which Shaffer himself did recently, he also recommends not leaving visible valuables in vehicles.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office received five reports of thefts from a vehicle on May 18 and 19, a crime which Chief Deputy Al Hayden says is “very common.”

“They go in spurts,” Hayden said.

The crime is difficult for the sheriff’s office to solve, as cases come from a wide geographic area and often involve unlocked vehicles, he said.

In most cases the suspects canvass an area for unlocked cars with valuable items, such as a purse, electronics or cash. In some cases, they will break a window to enter a locked vehicle.

When an arrest is made, it usually involves the suspect being caught in the act or shortly afterward, although specific descriptions and serial numbers can make it easier to find stolen items that are being sold.

shickey@gannett.com

740-375-5155