Home burglaries spike during breaks

Factoid:To register for the house watch program, call the Carbondale Police Department at 457-3200.

When students are away, burglars come out to play, but University officials and the Carbondale Police Department are trying to stop them from having too much fun this holiday season.

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Carbondale Police Officer Randy Mathis said burglaries spike during University breaks because people aren’t around to deter theft. When someone sees a packed mailbox or a yard full of newspapers, it’s a green light to have at it.

“You need to give the impression that you are there,” Mathis said. “Suspend mail delivery and newspaper delivery and put lights – or even better yet, radios and TV’s – on timers.”

Mathis also suggests residents sign up for the house watch program, where officers will check residences daily for suspicious activity, jiggling doorknobs and peering in windows before someone else does.

While burglaries in residence halls are practically non-existent during breaks because the buildings go into lock-down, Keith McMath, coordinator of residence life, said students should still take precautions.

“The biggest thing is to make sure rooms are locked and secure, electrical items are unplugged, lights are off and the water is off,” McMath said. “And once the building is closed, no one can get in, so students need to make a check-list of things to take home, including personal valuables.”

The University Police will also patrol the buildings inside and out, but McMath said unlike some student living areas around town, the campus isn’t deserted during breaks.

“It slows down tremendously, but there are still staff members around,” McMath said. “That deters a lot of things, the biggest problem we have had in recent years is vandalism.”

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Residence halls will close at noon Saturday for Thanksgiving break and will reopen at 2 a.m. Nov. 20.