(Photo: CBS)REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - It's not only the crime but the timing that has police at Delaware's beaches concerned about recent burglaries.
Thieves stole four flat screen televisions and a laptop after breaking into two vacant, summer homes this month, Rehoboth Beach Police Chief Keith Banks said.
While resort communities have handled similar burglaries in the off-season during previous years, officers worry this could be the beginning of a long winter in Rehoboth.
"The biggest concern is we're starting to get them early, so we've got to stay on top of it," said Sgt. Scott O'Brier.
Police said burglars are well aware many of the beach communities are quiet this time of the year. The latest burglaries included homes on New Castle St. and St. Lawrence St.
"It's more of a crime of opportunity, I guess," said Stan Mills, coordinator of the neighborhood watch program. "A lot of people do go away. They're snow birders and head south."
Officers in Rehoboth Beach walk the streets to check on homes. O'Brier said each shift takes a different section of the city and routinely stops by houses to see that they are locked and not burglarized.
Police said the program helps them spot burglaries early on. Otherwise, crimes at empty summer homes go unreported for months until the owner returns with warmer weather.
Mills said locked doors and alarm systems are key to preventing burglaries. He also recommended outdoor lighting and trimmed bushes. Given the recent theft of electronics, police recommended owners photograph their valuables and the associated serial number.
No arrests have been made in the November break-ins. Banks said he believes the burglaries may be connected with other thefts just outside the city.
