MANKATO – Burglaries are up in Mankato 30 percent since June 1 and that has police appealing to the public to lock up valuable.Public Safety Commander Jeremy Clifton says they appear to be “crimes of opportunity.”
That’s a fancy way of saying people are leaving doors unlocked.
So far, Clifton says the burglars are leaving homes alone. But they are targeting detached garages and vehicles parked inside.
They are taking real small items such as change, smokes, GPS devices.
Burglaries are up all over Mankato, however, Clifton pointed to a specific area of lower Mankato between Main and Madison and 2nd Street to 6th Street.
Clifton says in many cases they hit an unlocked garage and leave locked buildings on both sides alone.
No forced entry has been reported so far and police say many of burglaries could have been stopped by simply locking doors and taking valuables out of the car.
Because of the low dollar value of items taken, Clifton says many property owners and renters don’t take the time to report the crime.
But he says reporting even minor crimes can help police spot trends.
For Mankato residents who don’t want to call police, they can fill out a report on line at the city’s website.
ON THE WEB: File an online Mankato police report
ON THE WEB: File an online Mankato police report