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The link includes a video and I've also pasted in the text of the story (we know how a lot of times these links become inactivated)
What really was eye opening is the numbers they show in the video:
King County sheriff reports 400, and city of Seattle 650 break ins in just one month.
Additionally that firearms had been stolen. Come on, if you own them, lock them up.
Even more shocking was that some of these happened at night when the owners were at home and sleeping in their beds. If you think about the odds here, sooner or later one of these "crews" will get a very nasty surprise when they break into the wrong house.
Tis' the season for crime - KCPQ
Q13 FOX News reporters
10:35 PM PST, December 7, 2011
KENT
Advertisement
Home burglaries are on the rise throughout the Puget Sound area.
In Kent, police are dealing with at least 50 residential burglaries a month and now they are targeting the thieves with a new enforcement effort. But, it is an uphill battle.
On Tuesday, police arrested six people and recovered stolen property, but four more houses were also burglarized.
Most are happening during the day when no one is home, but some homes are being hit in the middle of the night while families are sleeping.
Meagan Desart is a wife and mother and now, unfortunately, she knows how it feels to be a victim.
"The iPad, the laptop, the Blu-Ray player, both digital cameras, those were the things we noticed right off the bat, all gone, Desart said Wednesday.
Jason Humphrey knows the feeling too.
"I went downstairs and saw the xBox was missing and a whole bunch of other items missing so it was apparent we were robbed during the night while we were sleeping," Humphrey said.
Both had their homes burglarized in the past few weeks.
Unlike most of the recent burglaries, their homes were hit in the middle of the night.
Desart said, "You think you live in a decent neighborhood, you have kids. It takes a lot of balls for a guy to break into a house with a family."
Kent police have identified habitual offenders and have made arrests but the burglaries continue, so police are cracking down and theres a new task force to get the job done.
"Were identifying these different groups and individuals. Were tracking these folks down, Kent police Cmdr. Pat Lowery said.
While their efforts are paying off, police promise not to let up.
"What concerns us, though, is a number of these burglaries occur where firearms are stolen so we know guns are out there whether or not they are being carried by the people committing the crimes is always a question," Lowery said.
Humphrey said he hopes no one else has to go through what his family did.
"You never think things like this would happen to you but its apparent these days you just cant let your guard down, he said.
Police believe the majority of these burglaries are being committed by just a few groups of young thieves.
One sad example one of those arrested Tuesday was also arrested for burglary and released just one week ago. Longer sentences for repeat offenders, police say, is the solution.
According to King County's website, if it takes more than four or five minutes to break into a home, most burglars will go elsewhere. The King County Sheriff's Office offers several tips for protecting your home on its website, including the following:
Establish a routine to make certain that doors and windows are locked and alarm systems are turned on.
Never give information to unidentified telephone callers and announcing your personal plans in want ads or public notices (such as giving your address when advertising items for sale).
Keep all doors and windows locked, even if you are just going out "for a minute."
If a window is left open a few inches for ventilation, it should be locked to prevent someone from opening it more.
Lock gates, garages, and sheds after each use.
Store bicycles, mowers, etc. in a locked garage or shed, or secure them to some stationary point.
Keep your sports equipment inside the house when it's not in use.
Don't leave your garage door opener where it is easily accessible. Keep your vehicle registration, proof of insurance, and any other papers with your home address on them where a criminal is not likely to find them.
Remember that pet doors, crawl spaces, ventilation windows, and other openings should be secured. Also make sure that window air conditioners are installed securely and cannot easily be removed from the outside.
What really was eye opening is the numbers they show in the video:
King County sheriff reports 400, and city of Seattle 650 break ins in just one month.
Additionally that firearms had been stolen. Come on, if you own them, lock them up.
Even more shocking was that some of these happened at night when the owners were at home and sleeping in their beds. If you think about the odds here, sooner or later one of these "crews" will get a very nasty surprise when they break into the wrong house.
Tis' the season for crime - KCPQ
Q13 FOX News reporters
10:35 PM PST, December 7, 2011
KENT
Advertisement
Home burglaries are on the rise throughout the Puget Sound area.
In Kent, police are dealing with at least 50 residential burglaries a month and now they are targeting the thieves with a new enforcement effort. But, it is an uphill battle.
On Tuesday, police arrested six people and recovered stolen property, but four more houses were also burglarized.
Most are happening during the day when no one is home, but some homes are being hit in the middle of the night while families are sleeping.
Meagan Desart is a wife and mother and now, unfortunately, she knows how it feels to be a victim.
"The iPad, the laptop, the Blu-Ray player, both digital cameras, those were the things we noticed right off the bat, all gone, Desart said Wednesday.
Jason Humphrey knows the feeling too.
"I went downstairs and saw the xBox was missing and a whole bunch of other items missing so it was apparent we were robbed during the night while we were sleeping," Humphrey said.
Both had their homes burglarized in the past few weeks.
Unlike most of the recent burglaries, their homes were hit in the middle of the night.
Desart said, "You think you live in a decent neighborhood, you have kids. It takes a lot of balls for a guy to break into a house with a family."
Kent police have identified habitual offenders and have made arrests but the burglaries continue, so police are cracking down and theres a new task force to get the job done.
"Were identifying these different groups and individuals. Were tracking these folks down, Kent police Cmdr. Pat Lowery said.
While their efforts are paying off, police promise not to let up.
"What concerns us, though, is a number of these burglaries occur where firearms are stolen so we know guns are out there whether or not they are being carried by the people committing the crimes is always a question," Lowery said.
Humphrey said he hopes no one else has to go through what his family did.
"You never think things like this would happen to you but its apparent these days you just cant let your guard down, he said.
Police believe the majority of these burglaries are being committed by just a few groups of young thieves.
One sad example one of those arrested Tuesday was also arrested for burglary and released just one week ago. Longer sentences for repeat offenders, police say, is the solution.
According to King County's website, if it takes more than four or five minutes to break into a home, most burglars will go elsewhere. The King County Sheriff's Office offers several tips for protecting your home on its website, including the following:
Establish a routine to make certain that doors and windows are locked and alarm systems are turned on.
Never give information to unidentified telephone callers and announcing your personal plans in want ads or public notices (such as giving your address when advertising items for sale).
Keep all doors and windows locked, even if you are just going out "for a minute."
If a window is left open a few inches for ventilation, it should be locked to prevent someone from opening it more.
Lock gates, garages, and sheds after each use.
Store bicycles, mowers, etc. in a locked garage or shed, or secure them to some stationary point.
Keep your sports equipment inside the house when it's not in use.
Don't leave your garage door opener where it is easily accessible. Keep your vehicle registration, proof of insurance, and any other papers with your home address on them where a criminal is not likely to find them.
Remember that pet doors, crawl spaces, ventilation windows, and other openings should be secured. Also make sure that window air conditioners are installed securely and cannot easily be removed from the outside.
