Call MPD if you have information on the dozen daytime break-ins over the last couple weeks, or call Muncie Crime Stoppers at 765-747-4806 and you could qualify for a reward.
Tips from UPD Chief Jim Duckham to prevent burglary:
- Lock all doors and windows, even if you will be gone only a few minutes
- Leave lights on when you are not home
- Do not leave valuables in plain sight
- Keep an inventory of your valuables
- Don’t post comings and goings on social media
The University Police Department is warning students and other nearby residents about home and vehicle break-ins after UPD and the Muncie Police Department received more than a dozen reports in recent weeks.
Since August, nearly 70 reports of car and home burglaries on or near campus have been reported to the two police departments combined, although MPD Chief Steve Stewart said that number could still be low.
“Unfortunately, there are still many break-ins that aren’t being reported,” he said.
In cases where little to no items are stolen, Stewart said some people aren’t reporting the incidents altogether.
When a break-in occurs and only items of personal value are taken, Stewart said there “isn’t a whole lot” police can do.
Katelyn Howell, a senior family and child studies major, has been the victim of four break-ins over the last year. After her car was most recently broken into in November, she said all she could do was file a police report.
“I left my backpack in the back seat of my car — which is something I never do — and sometime during the night, my car was broken into and my bag was gone,” Howell said. “I have to be really careful and make sure my car doors are always locked and that nothing of value stays in the car. People will break in for anything, it seems like.”
Howell, who lives closer to the downtown area of Muncie, said she’s also had three bikes stolen from her property.
Although she isn’t sure who is responsible for the break-ins, after reporting the incident, Howell said MPD told her break-ins are becoming more prevalent.
“It’s my own fault that I left stuff in the car, and I guess it’s really easy to pick a car door,” Howell said. “But I shouldn’t have to worry about people stealing my things. It’s frustrating.”
To add to the growing numbers of break-ins and burglaries, senior communications major Sasha Bonar said her car has been broken into four times since September. Although nothing too valuable was taken from her car, Bonar said she still filed a report with MPD.
“I came out to my car and found the window glass shattered and the things in my car had all been thrown around,” Bonar said. “It’s obnoxious.”
But that isn’t all that Bonar said she’s had a problem with at her Neely Avenue home. Just days before Thanksgiving, Bonar said she was alone at home when someone attempted to break in.
“Someone was knocking over and over and holding down the doorbell,” Bonar said. "Whoever it was, they covered up the hole in the door so I couldn’t see who it was, and they kept trying to open the door.”
Bonar said the attempted intruder continued for more than five minutes, but by the time a friend came to help, the individual had run away. Although she didn’t call MPD to report the incident, Bonar said she’s taking even more precautions before going home for Winter Break.
“It was extreme, but in this area, the break-ins seem really, really common,” Bonar said. “Before I go home this time, I’m making sure everything is locked really well and anything of value is out of sight.”
University police are recommending that all off-campus students do the same. Since the beginning of December, public safety director Jim Duckham said officers have been going door-to-door to remind individuals how to prevent break-ins, especially before leaving their houses for several weeks during break.
“Many of our students who live off campus will likely be away from Muncie over the Winter Break,” Duckham said. “And we wanted to take this opportunity to provide our community members with tips and information that can help them stay safe.”
UPD officers have been talking to residents and offering magnets with reminders, and Duckham said it’s an initiative that’s beneficial for both officers and the community.
“It’s just one more piece of a larger pilot program we’ve initiated with two nearby neighborhoods that allows our officers to engage with our students in the community and provide valuable crime-prevention information,” Duckham said. “It’s really just another example of UPD’s community policing approach to what we do.”
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