A recent spike of crimes in downtown Madison over the past months continued this past week as police logged a higher number of neighborhood burglaries while students were on break.
According to a news release from the Madison Police Department’s South District, burglaries in areas including the Regent and Vilas neighborhoods rose by 50 percent compared to the same time period last year.
MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain said the extremely warm early spring-late winter weather may have contributed to the uptick in burglaries.
“We typically see burglaries go up in nicer weather with people opening apartment windows and doors,” DeSpain said.
The news release also said the University of Wisconsin’s recent one-week recess could be a contributing factor to the rise in incidents in addition to the weather, as students are often out-of-town for the week.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said there has been a palpable increase in incidents this semester in relation to previous semesters.
Verveer also said the majority of burglaries take place during the daytime when thieves know residents are not home and can enter a dwelling through unlocked doors and windows. He said electronics are most highly targeted by the burglars.
He said a recently approved pawn shop ordinance has helped to return stolen items to victims, as the pawn shops must now record each purchase of an item with MPD.
“It is by no means a cure-all, but over time I think it will help us combat these burglaries and bring the thieves to justice,” he said.
Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said although UW’s spring break is typically a time when student residences are targeted by burglars the amount of crimes seen recently near campus appears to be a pressing concern.
Resnick said MPD South District’s acknowledgement of the sharp increase in crimes shows there is a definite problem.
A meeting scheduled for April 18 at Union South will include representatives from MPD and UW Police as well as city alders and officials to discuss safety solutions in light of the slew of burglaries.
Resnick said he also met with the South District Capt. Joe Balles and Ald. Sue Ellingson, District 13, Monday to search for solutions from both a city and a campus perspective.
“There have been issues even prior to spring break,” Resnick said. “Hopefully, [these meetings] will lead to a larger student conversation that I hope to have in the next two weeks.”
