Carrboro sees break-ins concentrated in certain areas

A string of break-ins in Carrboro has police on edge.

In an 11-day span in mid-January, there were six break-ins reported to the Carrboro Police Department.

Among the six incidents, more than $19,000 worth of items was stolen from the properties, according to Carrboro police reports.

While police have not suggested the break-ins are related, the department has said those involved in the incidents seem to be targeting Rock Haven Road, the 300 block of Pleasant Drive, and the 100 block of West Poplar Avenue, according to a press release from police last month.

The people involved in the breaking and entering are commonly stealing electronics and jewelry, police reports state.

Capt. Chris Atack, a spokesman for the Carrboro Police Department, said daytime residential break-ins are common in the area.

“We are coming into a time where we have seen a lot more break-ins,” he said. “We are in the investigative stage, and I would say that we have had eight in last five to six weeks.”

Atack said the department tries to quickly warn nearby residents following a break-in.

“Daytime residential break-ins are historically the things that we fight the most,” he said. “We try to post the alerts online so people can know where they are going on, and they can know to keep watch of their door.”

The press release also said someone had been arrested for the West Popular Avenue incident, but the department does not think the person was involved in the other incidents.

The police department classified the West Poplar Avenue break-in as a burglary because it occurred at night and officials warned residents to look out for suspicious activity.

“Please keep an eye out for people acting suspiciously in your neighborhoods and call 911 promptly to report them,” the release said.

Benjamin Edkins, one of the people whose home was broken into, said he was out of town when the incident occurred.

“A guy apparently pushed in the window and took my television,” he said.

“I also heard his get-away vehicle was a moped, so I was like, ‘Good luck with that buddy,’ because the TV was over 60 inches.”

Edkins said he recently got an alarm system because he has been a victim of a couple of break-ins.

“I have been burglarized a number of times. My business in Hillsborough was burglarized a number of times, and my last home in Hillsborough was, too,” he said. “I’m not happy about it. I think people should be aware of it and they should protect themselves and their family and their belongings.

Atack said the frequency of break-ins is not as bad as the numbers would suggest, but the department is looking into the collective reports.

“That is not a lot as it seems, but the concern from our side is that is this the start of the wave or is it the end?”

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