(BLOOMINGTON) - Holiday patrols by the Bloomington Police Department have resulted in fewer burglary reports when compared with data from last year.
The reduced number of burglary reports is for both the Thanksgiving Break and Winter Break for the Indiana University class schedule. Historically, student areas have experienced an increase in burglaries during IU breaks due to the fact that many residences are empty and fewer people are available to report suspicious activity that might be occurring in those areas while students are away. The figures for the respective holiday periods are listed below:
Thanksgiving Break:
- 2013 - 23
- 2014 - 13
*This represents a reduction of 43%
Winter Break:
- 2013 - 54
- 2014 - 28
*This represents a reduction of 48%
The Department attributes the reduction to:
- Patrols that focused on apartment complexes and off-campus neighborhoods inhabited mostly by Indiana University students
- A collaborative effort with the Indiana University Police Department to provide combined patrols in student areas near campus involving both agencies
- Crime prevention information provided through local media, apartment management and social media
- Crime analysis that has identified areas where burglaries have occurred more frequently and the allocation of police resources based on that information
- The recent transition to a new Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Maintenance System (CAD/RMS). The newer system by Spillman Technologies and the tools within the software makes it easier for officers, supervisors and the Department's Crime Analyst to extract and view crime information for police resource allocation
- Apartment complexes that provide on-site security for their residents
The Bloomington Police Department will continue to utilize the same strategies for IU's Spring Break in an effort to minimize burglaries during that time period.
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