Several Break-ins Occur in Jasper

Several residences have been broken into this week, said Jasper County Sheriff Charles Roper, and there are no good leads yet on who the perpetrators may be.

Seven homes on the east side of Jasper County have been burglarized. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office is working with investigators in Putnam and Baldwin Counties, as they have reported similar break-ins.

The sheriff said there had been reports of a person knocking on a door and offering to rake leaves or do other odd jobs for money. It is not known at this time if that is related to the break-ins.

All the homes that have been burglarized were homes where no one was present.

The sheriff offered several tips to avoid being victimized, and urged residents to call 911 to report any suspicious activity.

He suggests that if persons have patterns they can change to change them. He also suggests turning up the television or radio to make it appear someone is at home.

He urges those with burglar alarms to use them. He said it sounds silly, but unfortunately a number of homes have alarms, but the residents don’t set them. He also encourages neighbors to look out for one another.

He asks residents to write down tag numbers and descriptions of suspicious persons, but not to confront anyone. He said if a stranger knocks on your door, call 911 before answering the door.

He also suggests that Christmas gifts be stored somewhere rather than left under the tree. He suggested an attic or other place that is not as inviting as the Christmas tree.

He also suggests if you have access to a spare auto, put it in the driveway so it looks as if someone is home.

Sheriff Roper stressed for everyone to report anything suspicious to 911. He said, “We want to be called.