Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Midnight Burglar
#1
January 23, 1997
Boulder Press Release
POLICE ADVISE COMMUNITY OF "MIDNIGHT BURGLAR"
Residents Reminded to Lock Doors and Windows at Night Boulder Police are advising residents to be certain they lock their doors following a rash of nighttime burglaries which appear to be related.
The burglaries date back to December 12, 1996 and the most recent report was on December 25, 1996. There is no descriptions of the person(s) responsible but some common information about 14 incidents appear to link the crimes.
The concentration of the reports of the burglaries has been in the northwest part of the city but reports have been received from other parts of town.
According to Detective Sergeant Doyle Thomas, head of property crime investigations, "The suspect or suspects enter homes through open doors between the hours of 10p.m. and 8a.m., usually while residents are home sleeping.
The suspect(s) takes small, easy to transport items such as cash, jewelry, compact disks, and credit cards.
The suspect(s) does not have contact with anyone in the house and essentially sneaks in and out through open doors. Since no one in the house actually sees the burglar, we have no suspect descriptions.
The thefts have resulted in thousands of dollars in losses to date. However, police have not discovered the suspect using any of the stolen credit cards. Added Detective Sgt. Thomas, "We want to remind residents to lock their doors and windows at night and to immediately report to police any suspicious vehicles or persons.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Boulder Police Detectives at 441-3330.
Reply
#2
A little different as this post is to report a burglary into a GARAGE, not a house - but it may be important because it took place the night of JonBenet's murder and it was just down the street at 715 15th Street.
Reply
#3
The BoulderNews Ramsey Archive

Articles from the Daily Camera

Ramsey case puts others on hold
By ELLIOT ZARET
Camera Staff Writer
February 12, 1997
With a majority of the department's detectives devoted to finding JonBenet Ramsey's killer, the Boulder Police Department finds itself stretched thin.
Serious cases - such as assaults and motions filed for cases being prosecuted by the district attorney's office - still get immediate police attention. But less serious crimes - auto burgla for instance - may not receive attention for a few weeks.
"Obviously we're backlogged," said Detective Sgt. Doyle Thomas. "We're not handling them as fast as we'd like to or as normal."
Thomas supervises the five or six detectives working on everything besides "that big case" - as many in the department refer to the Ramsey investigation. He said he was too busy with the intense caseload to figure out exactly how many cases the detective bureau has and how many have been cleared.
Six-year-old JonBenet was found strangled in the basement of her home Dec. 26, eight hours after being reported kidnapped. Police have not made an arrest in connection with her death or announced any suspects. Police won't say exactly how many detectives are working on the case.
The department has about 20 detectives who investigate everything from stolen bicycles to homicides. With about a quarter of the normal number of investigators, Thomas has had to prioritize cases. Detectives reporting to him are putting in long hours.
"We try to get the big priority cases first," Thomas said. "But if you report a case today and it goes to the (detective) bureau, you might not hear from a detective for two or three weeks."
In one instance, police began investigating Boulder resident Tim Case a few days before Christmas when the father of two reported the family's presents stolen from his car. After he came forward asking for help, people from the community sent him presents and gifts so he could give his children a proper Christmas.
But a background check showed Case had been convicted of check fraud in the amount of $15,000 two years earlier. And the rarity of one item that Case said was stolen from his car - a Nintendo 64, which stores said was sold out for weeks before Christmas - raised the suspicion of one detective.
City spokespeople sent out a release urging people to send gifts to the Emergency Family Assistance Association instead of directly to Case, but many already had.
However, since Dec. 26, the detective investigating Case has been working solely on the Ramsey murder. He has not been able to answer questions from people who made donations to Case, though he said he hasn't received any calls about it in a while.
In another example, police sent out a news release the last week of January warning people of a midnight burglar striking Boulder - during December. Thomas said they sent the release, albeit belated, because the thief was still operating in the area.
Such examples seem to be the exception rather than the rule for a bureau that Thomas said is banding together to do its best in a tough situation. District Attorney Alex Hunter said detectives have managed to get his office the information it needs for pending cases despite a staff that's primarily focused on the Ramsey case.
"We're feeling just fine about efforts being made in other cases," said Hunter. "As far as staying up on motions and preliminary hearings, my people haven't been complaining."
When crime victims call the detectives about their cases, police sometimes have to say investigations will be delayed because of the big investigation.
"Everyone's been very understanding, very cooperative," said Detective Ron Gosage, one of the Ramsey investigators. "They understand that this is a very important case that we have to wrap up - and we will wrap it up."
Karen Duffala, deputy director of the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center at the University of Denver Research Center, said Boulder police have done a good job keeping up with their caseload despite the Ramsey case.
"It's always a balancing act, even when you don't have a big case, of prioritizing," said Duffala, who worked for 20 years in Colorado law enforcement.
Duffala said one danger is residents will try to be too considerate to police. "They might not report something they normally would because of the thought that everyone's busy," she said. "But you're still important. Your little parking problem is still important."
As for Boulder residents potentially waiting two or three weeks for a detective to call when their cars are broken into, "that's a lengthy period of time for Boulder, but it might not be for another community because of the sheer volume," Duffala said. "In a lot of other large communities - such as Los Angeles, Detroit or Chicago - you may not ever hear from anybody anyway.
Reply
#4
2/12/1997 story - - huh?
However, since Dec. 26, the detective investigating Case has been working solely on the Ramsey murder. He has not been able to answer questions from people who made donations to Case, though he said he hasn't received any calls about it in a while.
In another example, police sent out a news release the last week of January warning people of a midnight burglar striking Boulder - during December. (DOYLE THOMAS - not Steve) Thomas said they sent the release, albeit belated, because the thief was still operating in the area.
Such examples seem to be the exception rather than the rule for a bureau that Thomas said is banding together to do its best in a tough situation.
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)