By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
December usually sees a bigger spike in burglaries than any other month of the year. Around Barton County, the usual holiday trend could just be a coincidence. Sheriff Brian Bellendir says regardless of the cause, area residents should be proactive heading into the New Year.
"We're seeing an uptick in thefts," he said. "I really don't know why. I don't think scrap prices have gone up that much. That's usually when we see the big uptick. The upticks are generally when we have a scrap issue, but we're seeing a few more burglaries than we used to over the last few weeks and months. We're asking everybody to be vigilant. If you see suspicious activity, call it in."
A pair of burglaries were reported inside Great Bend city limits on Nov. 2. On Nov. 28, a property owner three miles east of Great Bend held a burglary suspect at gunpoint until authorities could arrive. Sixty-four-year-old Harry Casper was arrested in that incident. Another burglary was reported elsewhere in the county that day, and Bellendir said another recent burglary to a business south of Great Bend was substantial.
"Lock your stuff up," Bellendir reminded. "Be vigilant. If you have security systems, make sure they're functioning because it does us no good if your camera isn't working. That helps a lot."
Bellendir said some of the burglaries may be drug-related. Often times when his deputies carry out warrants for drug-related offenses, stolen property is found, or when stolen property is recovered, drugs are often found.
With 904 square miles to cover, Bellendir said law enforcement cannot be everywhere all the time. That's why a vigilant public is important, and why calling Crime Stoppers at (620) 792-1300 can be beneficial to both law enforcement and victims.
"A lot of times, the public and the citizens know things we'd never find out," Bellendir said. "We need information, so if you've got information, don't hesitate, call Crime Stoppers. We look at every call we get."