Police report ‘unusual’ trend in small business, home burglaries near Denver

DENVER (KDVR) — Police believe that burglars are following people to their homes and placing trackers in victim’s cars in Westminster.

It’s a trend that the Westminster Police Department said has been prevalent across the Denver metro area recently , specifically targeting small business owners.

The burglars are known to follow small business owners on their way home from work, police said. Then, when the business owners are away, they burglarize the home.

Beyond that, police said sometimes the suspects will put trackers on the victims’ vehicles, or even hide security cameras to monitor a victim’s home.

Detective Adam Lanning with the Westminster Police Department told FOX31 that these targeted crimes are not normal.

“It is unusual. Usually, a lot of times, it’s random. Some people just pick a neighborhood and kind of pick a place, but this is — they’re targeted. They’re watched,” Lanning said.

Lanning said detectives are not sure how long burglars are watching the victims, and said it could be anywhere from a day to a month.

“Once they leave, they [the burglars] do their business,” he said.

The Westminster Police Department offered these tips to help protect homes and businesses:

• Keep your vehicles locked
• Be aware of your surroundings, particularly when going to and from your vehicle in parking lots
• Be cautious of unsolicited deliveries to your home, especially food deliveries
• Think about how you secure valuable items in your home
• Do not store large amounts of cash inside your home
• Consider installing motion-activated lighting
• Install security cameras and alarms around your home and/or business
• Stay in contact with your neighbors

If you notice suspicious activity related to this crime trend, WPD says to call your local non-emergency dispatch line. In Westminster, that number is 303-658-4360.

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