(WXYZ) — With metro Detroit families traveling for the holidays, Police are putting out a warning that theft groups from South America are still active in Michigan, targeting high-end homes for cash, jewelry, and more.
As recent as this month, the transnational gangs have been targeting high-end homes across metro Detroit, responsible for at least 8 break-ins in Oakland County in a 7-day span.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Transnational gangs hit Oakland County again, 8 high-end homes burglarized in 7 days
"It's just scary," said Greg Williams of Bloomfield Township. "We have an alarm system; we always have it on, and we always lock our doors.”
“It's an uneasy feeling knowing that you have to make sure your doors are locked when you go to bed and leaving throughout the day, that you might come back and your stuff not be there,” said Autumn Brandon of West Bloomfield.
With Oakland County residents already on alert, police are also encouraging vigilance as families travel for the holidays, leaving their homes unattended.
“Keep lights on, arm your alarm, make sure all your windows and doors are locked before you leave. If you have a trusted neighbor, let them know you’ll be out of town so they can look for any suspicious activity,” said Officer Nick Soley with the Bloomfield Township Police Department.
Officer Soley says this time of year one of the most common calls for officers on day shift in Bloomfield is to check on homes.
“We do offer a program called the vacation house watch,” Soley said. "We come out while you’re gone, we’ll walk around the house, we get out of our cars, we check the windows, check the locks, we make sure everything looks okay, and we actually make note and log it into a document that we came out.”
While it’s been months since Bloomfield Township has had a confirmed case linked to the transnational gangs, Soley says the groups are still operating in the area, making it even more important this holiday season to be alert.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Town Hall in Bloomfield Hills discusses South American gangs, home break-ins
“We’re just doing our best to keep an eye out. We are upping our extra patrols every time we hear of another one in target-rich environments, but there’s no real rhyme or reason,” said Soley. “It's extremely frustrating. It's frustrating as we don't know exactly how many groups there are. We know there’s multiple groups; we know they're from all the way east and all the way west in this country.”
“We're not going out of town for the holidays, but we definitely have our alarm system in, and we put in motion detectors,” said Williams.
“I don't announce if I'm going out of town, but I do have a select few list of neighbors that I will let know," said Brandon. "I think everyone just has to be extra diligent about making sure their stuff is locked up and they're looking out for their neighbors and looking out for themselves.”
Another tip from police: if you are out of town, program your local police department's non-emergency number into your phone. That way, if you get an alert from your alarm at home, you can call them directly. Calling 911 from your cell phone will instead connect you to local dispatch in the area you're calling from.
