The Cambridge Police Department issued a citywide warning on Friday about a “growing pattern of housebreaks” and shared tips to help keep homes safe.
They said the Port and Mid-Cambridge neighborhoods have seen more break-ins over the past three months. CPD’s Crime Analysis Unit noted that housebreaks jumped 145 percent this January compared to last year – going from 11 cases in January 2023 to 27 this January. Overall property crime, which also includes theft and car theft, rose by 10 percent over the year.
The police said these burglaries mostly happened through unlocked doors or windows and that thieves took electronics, jewelry, and cash.
To tackle the increase, CPD said they’ve stepped up patrols while looking into break-ins that happened on Columbia St., Harvard St., and Oxford St.
Peabody was highlighted as the “main hotspot” for burglaries in Cambridge. In January alone, four break-in attempts were reported there; two led to arrests-one man trying to get into a basement and one woman attempting entry into a home.
No suspects have been identified yet for the other two incidents.
While burglary numbers climbed, larceny stayed about steady with just a slight 1 percent drop this year. Most larceny reports last year involved package thefts, according to CPD.
Theft from vehicles dropped sharply by 53 percent compared to last year at this time.
On campus, Harvard University Police recorded 42 theft reports since early January across places like Lowell House, Eliot House, Wigglesworth, and Quincy House.
In their alert, CPD listed some safety tips for folks around town – first off: always lock your doors and windows, especially basement ones.
Other advice included putting window guards so they can’t be opened more than a few inches, not leaving doors propped open or letting strangers into your apartment building, using motion sensor lights or security cameras at home, and reporting anything suspicious right away to CPD.
-Staff writer Sally E. Edwards can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @sallyedwards04 or on Threads @sally_edwards06.
-Staff writer Asher J. Montgomery can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @asherjmont or on Threads @asher_montgomery.
