East Jutland police ask residents to help curb burglaries

East Jutland Police are asking residents to report suspicious activity as the police district deals with a rise in home burglaries, DR reports. A call about a light on in a neighbour’s flat led to the arrest of a suspected burglar in Aarhus North on Friday evening.

From January 1 to October 31 this year, police received 1,811 reports of burglaries in private homes, compared with 1,563 in the same period last year. The number in Aarhus Municipality rose from 956 to 1,239.

Police say both local people and people from outside the area may be responsible. They analyse where burglaries take place and how intruders get into homes, and share information about hotspots and suspected offenders with patrols.

But patrols cannot cover the whole district, said Flemming Nørgaard, an investigations manager with East Jutland Police. He said residents’ reports have helped police identify when something is wrong.

Police expect burglaries to be especially common during holiday periods and in the run-up to Christmas. They are asking residents to alert the control centre if they see suspicious people or vehicles, but not to intervene or try to detain anyone.

Police advise residents to watch one another’s homes, keep properties well lit and make them look occupied. They say people should call 114 to report suspicious activity and 112 if they witness a burglary in progress.