Petty thefts rise in summer

Petty thieves have been busy recently.

Last week alone, the Cape Girardeau Police Department received more than 30 reports of petty thefts, break-ins or purse-snatchings. The recent spike in those types of crimes is typical during the summer, said Sgt. Barry Hovis. Warm weather prompts people to let their guards down. Victims often spend more time outdoors and leave their house and car windows open.

In 2006, 43 percent of burglaries and 37 percent of other types of thefts occurred from May to August.

The numbers for June and July of this year have not yet been compiled. In May, 25 burglaries and 139 larcenies were reported.

Last year, victims reported slightly more than $1 million in stolen property. Of that, 45 percent was recovered.

Of the thefts that occurred in Cape Girardeau during the summer of 2006, police recovered more than half of what had been lost in May (62 percent) and July (67 percent), but 13 percent in June and 38 percent in August.

"It's hit and miss," said Detective Tracy Lemonds of tracking down stolen property. While the assumption might be that some of it would show up in local pawnshops, Lemonds said, a majority often ends up being fenced in St. Louis and Memphis, Tenn.

"We can't assume the people will get rid of it locally," Lemonds said.

David Creech, a manager at Audio 1, a pawnbroker in Cape Girardeau, said he doesn't recall one instance of stolen property being recovered from his shop in the last year. Most squabbles about the ownership of certain items usually turns out to be part of a domestic dispute, he said.

Lemonds said searching pawnshops often are a first step in stolen property hunts. Creech said he likes to maintain an open-door policy and allow police to check for missing items.

In addition, pawnshops often record model and serial numbers on items reported stolen and post them where employees can check for a match when similar goods are brought in.

When police apprehend someone for one burglary or theft, often they find after questioning that it was not an isolated incident and the suspect will admit to the location of other stolen property, Lemonds said.

Stolen merchandise has also shown up in classified ads, he said.

In petty thefts reported so far this summer, items frequently reported stolen are iPods, stereo equipment, cell phones and purses, Lemonds said.

Last year, the monetary value of television, gaming, and stereo equipment that was reported stolen represented slightly less than 10 percent of total losses tallied for stolen property. Of that, police managed to recover 15 percent of the equipment. Thirty-nine percent of those thefts were reported May through August, and of those, only 6 percent of the value was recovered.

In a Chaffee, Mo., burglary that occurred early this month, Lt. Jerry Bledsoe of the Scott County Sheriff's Department said officers tracked down most of the stolen firearms and other valuables through interviews with the victims and suspect.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

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