Vehicle Break-Ins On The Increase, Township Sheriff’s Office Saysy
BY KELLY J. KACZALA — MIRROR REPORTER
Vehicle break-ins and thefts from vehicles increased in Springfield Township in the month of November, according to Lucas County Sheriff’s Sgt. Matt Luettke in his regular monthly crime report to trustees on December 19.
“Our thefts were up – everything was up as far as thefts – mostly thefts from automobiles and criminal damages of same. Those are happening not only in residential areas, but also happening in the retail areas, such as restaurants, different places like that. It’s not just a Springfield problem. It’s a problem just about everywhere,” he said.
Last month, the township saw a total of 85 incidents of both grand and petty theft, 24 incidents of breaking and entering, and 36 incidents of criminal damage, he said.
Luettke said he had received a call from trustee Marylin Yoder about crime in the Burnham Green and Lincoln Green area, including home break-ins and robberies at some of the businesses.
“Those are ongoing investigations. I don’t know if they are related, but both of them are being looked at quite seriously,” he said, adding that he hoped to have a resolution by next month’s report.
Trustee Bob Bethel said the public has been warned before about leaving anything of value in their vehicles as a result of the vehicle break-ins in the last several months.
Luettke said items in vehicles are no longer safe, even if they are hidden from view.
“It’s terrible, especially with retail,” Luettke said. “They’re actually watching. They’re staking out the area. You take your gifts that you just purchased from one store, put them in your trunk, and they’ll watch you drive to the next store and when you park the car, they’ll pry your trunk. So it’s gotten beyond leaving things out in the open.”
He added that the increase in vehicle break-ins may be a reflection of an improving economy. As more shoppers go to the stores to purchase items, the more there is to steal from vehicles.
“It’s bittersweet because, though crime is always bad, it means retail sales are up. I think we’re seeing an increase over last year for sure. There are more sales. It’s a bonus for the economy, but there are more thefts as well. It’s an unfortunate byproduct of increased commerce,” he said.
The sheriff’s department is increasing its presence in targeted areas, he said, in hopes of foiling burglaries.
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when retailers offer discounts on many items, was “relatively quiet,” Luettke said.
Some stores had “small problems” that were taken care of quickly, he said.
“They were crowded, which was good. We are still continuing to drive through the mall area whenever there are down moments so they can see our presence. If there is a little bit of a deterrent, that’s the only thing we can offer,” he said.
Also at the meeting, the trustees:
• Heard Fire Chief Barry Cousino express concerns about the fire department’s access to Wal-Mart. On Black Friday, in particular, the parking lot was congested, he said.
He said the department responded to one assault and one traffic accident and had trouble getting through the parking lot. He said the department would have to make an action plan in the event of future incidents.
• Approved a contract with the International Association of Firefighters Local 3544. The IAFF ratified the agreement December 13.
• Heard that the fire department responded to 277 calls for the month of November. Out of that number, 246 were EMS calls, and 31 were fire calls. Thirty-two calls were in the village of Holland.
• Heard Mike Hampton, director of public services, say that his department had to auger a few of the older areas as a result of heavy rains, because of debris from leaves and roots that had gotten through some of the old concrete tile. He also said there were sinkhole issues as a result of the record amount of rain.
• Approved a contract with Republic Services to provide Dumpster service for the township in 2012.