Pubdate: Sat, 27 Jan 2007
Source: Chapel Hill News (NC)
Copyright: 2007 Chapel Hill News
Contact:  http://www.chapelhillnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1081
Author: Meiling Arounnarath, Staff writer

Thieves target student homes

Police Say Winter Break Is Prime Time For Residential Break-Ins

Reported break-ins spike when students leave on winter break.

This year they rose 38 percent in Chapel Hill compared  to last year, 
though the number was slightly down from  two years ago.

In Carrboro reported break-ins between UNC's fall and  spring 
semesters decreased slightly from the same  period last year.

Thieves target apartments and duplexes when most  students are out of 
town because they tend to have  expensive "goodies" -- iPods, DVDs 
and laptops, said  Maj. Brian Curran of the Chapel Hill Police Department.

But the thieves don't spare other homes in the area,  whose residents 
may also be on winter vacation.

"Virtually all of this is tied to substance abuse at  least on some 
level," Curran said. "Basically, you get  people who are trying to 
steal objects and cash as an  outlet to fund their narcotics."

"A laptop will bring in a lot of cash for the thief,  and they can 
find those in student housing. That's a  lot of what we see," he 
added. "So the challenge for us  is to not only stop what they're 
doing but to find out  where the stuff's going."

Curran and Capt. Joel Booker of the Carrboro Police  Department both 
said break-ins are usually committed by  the same few people.

"They can do 15 to 20 at a time. It only takes a few  seconds to do 
one," Curran said. "They tend to settle  on whatever crime they're 
comfortable with, and those  are the ones they tend to repeat."

James Gorham Jr., 37, appears to be one of them,  according to police.

He was arrested on charges of breaking-and-entering and  possession 
of stolen goods in October. He was released  shortly after posting 
bail. Then, he was arrested again  in November on a charge of 
breaking and entering a  vehicle. He posted bail. And he was released again.

On Christmas Eve he was arrested, according to police,  after he 
returned to a student rental on McDade Street  he had just robbed and 
tried to make off with a bag of  frozen food and a bottle of Corona. 
He was charged with  breaking and entering, possession of stolen 
goods and  possession of drug paraphernalia after police found 
a  crack pipe on him, according to Chapel Hill police  spokeswoman 
Jane Cousins.

"[Sometimes], they're out within 24 hours," Curran  said. "They're 
out. They're in. It's just a revolving  door."

Break-in numbers fluctuate as police adjust patrols to  respond to 
the areas where break-ins are happening most  often. Numbers can also 
dip when a repeat offender is  locked up.

Booker attributed Carrboro's steady decline in  break-ins to police 
doing stakeouts, dressing in  civilian clothing and riding in 
unmarked cars around  neighborhoods. When these tactics result in 
arrests, they may take the burglars off the street responsible  for 
multiple break-ins, he said. Stakeouts may also  explain the dip in 
Chapel Hill's numbers in 2005.

But even the opposite -- uniformed officers in marked  patrol cars -- 
helps because simple police presence  deters thieves, he said.

Some property owners also do their own surveillance  during the winter.

"I rode around every property, making sure doors and  windows are 
locked -- that's what I spent all Christmas  doing," said Mark 
Patmore, who runs Mercia Residential  Properties and owns about 40 
units around the Northside  neighborhood of Chapel Hill. Many 
students rent his  units.

Patmore, who has lived in Northside for about 12 years,  said 
break-ins used to jump during the summer because  the students were 
gone. But now, many students take  summer classes and stick around town.

Patmore thinks more break-ins occurred during winter  break than were 
reported this year. Students may report  a break-in to him, he said, 
but not file a report with  the police.

"They just chalk it up to experience," he said.

As he makes his rounds, Patmore said, he'll talk to the  residents 
and suggest ways to make their unit look  occupied while they're out 
of town. They should leave  their lights on, leave their cars in the 
driveway or  leave the television and radio on, he said. He added 
that they should make sure doors and windows are locked  and take 
small, carryable valuables home.

Both the Chapel Hill and Carrboro police departments  suggest 
residents call the police and set up a "house  check" for when 
they'll be out of town.

"We'll actually stop, get out and physically check  their property," 
Booker said. "Most [people] don't know  about this service, but the 
ones that do call all the  time, and they come back and they're happy."

Staff writer Mark Schultz contributed to this article.

By The Numbers

Chapel Hill break-ins during ...

2004: 538 2004-05 winter break: 51

2005: 436 2005-06 winter break: 34

2006: 530 2006-07 winter break: 47

Carrboro break-ins during ...

2004: 245 2004-05 winter break: 15

2005: 231 2005-06 winter break: 16

2006: 214 2006-07 winter break: 13

To arrange a "house check" for when you're out of town,  stop by or 
call your local police department during  hours of operation: Chapel 
Hill P.D., 828 Martin Luther  King Jr. Blvd., 968-2760

Carrboro P.D., 100 N. Greensboro St., 918-7397
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman