On average the Amarillo Police Department is investigating about 5 residential burglaries a week where the suspects enter through an open overhead garage door. The homeowner returns home and pulls their vehicle in the garage, then goes in the house leaving the garage door up. The suspect then sneaks into the garage and steals items out of the vehicle, like purses, laptops, and anything of value. Occasionally the suspect will steal items from the garage itself like tools and lawn equipment. This type of crime is very preventable by simply closing the garage door after you pull inside the garage. These burglaries are mainly taking place in neighborhoods with rear entry garages off of alleyways, but it can actually happen everywhere. In one case the suspect/s took the keys out of the vehicles as they were sitting in the garage. Please be very mindful and keep those garage doors closed. If you see any suspicious activity in your alley, call the police immediately.
