The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office will be taking steps to mitigate a rash of break-ins in northern Lincoln County.
There have been enough break-ins in Jefferson, Whitefield and Dresden to “raise red flags” this year, according to LCSO Lt. Rand Maker.
On April 7, Maker met with member’s of the criminal investigation division of the sheriff’s office to discuss the issue and strategies for handling the situation.
Although Maker could not comment on specifics of the meeting, for fear of alerting criminals to police tactics, he said that generally these situations call for one or more of the following proactive steps: increased patrols, follow-up investigations or the installation of security cameras in the area.
If cameras are installed, their locations will not be made publicly available, but “if we put a camera on someone’s property, the people who own the property would know about it,” Maker said.
Maker emphasized that the incidents may not be related. The sheriff’s office is currently investigating several leads relating to break-ins in northern Lincoln County, he said.
“Rest assured, we recognize there’s a problem, and we’re working on it,” Maker said.
Maker encourages anyone who sees vehicles or people that are out of place in any part of the county to call the sheriff’s office. If possible, tips should include a description of the person or vehicle, Maker said.
“Sometimes it’s nothing, but we’re not going to be mad about that,” Maker said. “We need more neighbors helping neighbors.”
The Lincoln Count Sheriff’s Office can be reached at 882-6576.
