Thieves target student homes

Police Say Winter Break Is Prime Time For Residential Break-Ins

Reported break-ins spike when students leave on winter break.

This year they rose 38 percent in Chapel Hill compared to last year,
though the number was slightly down from two years ago.

In Carrboro reported break-ins between UNC's fall and spring
semesters decreased slightly from the same period last year.

Thieves target apartments and duplexes when most students are out of
town because they tend to have expensive "goodies" -- iPods, DVDs
and laptops, said Maj. Brian Curran of the Chapel Hill Police Department.

But the thieves don't spare other homes in the area, whose residents
may also be on winter vacation.

"Virtually all of this is tied to substance abuse at least on some
level," Curran said. "Basically, you get people who are trying to
steal objects and cash as an outlet to fund their narcotics."

"A laptop will bring in a lot of cash for the thief, and they can
find those in student housing. That's a lot of what we see," he
added. "So the challenge for us is to not only stop what they're
doing but to find out where the stuff's going."

Curran and Capt. Joel Booker of the Carrboro Police Department both
said break-ins are usually committed by the same few people.

"They can do 15 to 20 at a time. It only takes a few seconds to do
one," Curran said. "They tend to settle on whatever crime they're
comfortable with, and those are the ones they tend to repeat."

James Gorham Jr., 37, appears to be one of them, according to police.

He was arrested on charges of breaking-and-entering and possession
of stolen goods in October. He was released shortly after posting
bail. Then, he was arrested again in November on a charge of
breaking and entering a vehicle. He posted bail. And he was released again.

On Christmas Eve he was arrested, according to police, after he
returned to a student rental on McDade Street he had just robbed and
tried to make off with a bag of frozen food and a bottle of Corona.
He was charged with breaking and entering, possession of stolen
goods and possession of drug paraphernalia after police found
a crack pipe on him, according to Chapel Hill police spokeswoman
Jane Cousins.

"[Sometimes], they're out within 24 hours," Curran said. "They're
out. They're in. It's just a revolving door."

Break-in numbers fluctuate as police adjust patrols to respond to
the areas where break-ins are happening most often. Numbers can also
dip when a repeat offender is locked up.

Booker attributed Carrboro's steady decline in break-ins to police
doing stakeouts, dressing in civilian clothing and riding in
unmarked cars around neighborhoods. When these tactics result in
arrests, they may take the burglars off the street responsible for
multiple break-ins, he said. Stakeouts may also explain the dip in
Chapel Hill's numbers in 2005.

But even the opposite -- uniformed officers in marked patrol cars --
helps because simple police presence deters thieves, he said.

Some property owners also do their own surveillance during the winter.

"I rode around every property, making sure doors and windows are
locked -- that's what I spent all Christmas doing," said Mark
Patmore, who runs Mercia Residential Properties and owns about 40
units around the Northside neighborhood of Chapel Hill. Many
students rent his units.

Patmore, who has lived in Northside for about 12 years, said
break-ins used to jump during the summer because the students were
gone. But now, many students take summer classes and stick around town.

Patmore thinks more break-ins occurred during winter break than were
reported this year. Students may report a break-in to him, he said,
but not file a report with the police.

"They just chalk it up to experience," he said.

As he makes his rounds, Patmore said, he'll talk to the residents
and suggest ways to make their unit look occupied while they're out
of town. They should leave their lights on, leave their cars in the
driveway or leave the television and radio on, he said. He added
that they should make sure doors and windows are locked and take
small, carryable valuables home.

Both the Chapel Hill and Carrboro police departments suggest
residents call the police and set up a "house check" for when
they'll be out of town.

"We'll actually stop, get out and physically check their property,"
Booker said. "Most [people] don't know about this service, but the
ones that do call all the time, and they come back and they're happy."

Staff writer Mark Schultz contributed to this article.

By The Numbers

Chapel Hill break-ins during ...

2004: 538 2004-05 winter break: 51

2005: 436 2005-06 winter break: 34

2006: 530 2006-07 winter break: 47

Carrboro break-ins during ...

2004: 245 2004-05 winter break: 15

2005: 231 2005-06 winter break: 16

2006: 214 2006-07 winter break: 13

To arrange a "house check" for when you're out of town, stop by or
call your local police department during hours of operation: Chapel
Hill P.D., 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 968-2760

Carrboro P.D., 100 N. Greensboro St., 918-7397