CHESAPEAKE, Va. - Police Chief K.L. Wright tried to calm concerns after an uptick in burglaries in Western Branch. He addressed a crowd of nearly 200 at Western Branch Intermediate on Tuesday night.
"We've asked citizens to be very aware of what's taking place, to call us, to be observant, and they have," Chief Wright said, adding that police have gotten tips that have led to arrests. His main message was to stay vigilant. "People in the community see things that we don't because we can't be everywhere."
Twenty-one burglaries were reported in November, double the numbers from the summer. Thieves were stealing cars and then checking to see if people were home, according to police. If they weren't, burglaries happened. Neighbors are worried they could be next. "Every one of us should have our eyes, ears peeled," said one neighbor.
Chief Wright says officers have made progress, but so far police are still investigating why the uptick happened. "We don't know exactly why," said Chief Wright. "There are some common threads of suspects and we might be able to link them all together."
The meeting wasn't only focused on crime, but it was definitely a main reason why so many came. So far, police haven't released much information about the arrests.
