Warmer Weather Brings Opportunistic Prowlers

Mild weather brought people out of their homes to enjoy the warmer temperatures this weekend. Unfortunately night prowlers were also out looking for opportunities to break in to vehicles and homes.

Photo Courtesy Tyler Smith via Facebook

Kearney residents posted pictures and videos on social media of men checking door handles on cars and even walking up to a front porch in the early morning hours of Monday, February 21. The reported incidences took place in the Stonecrest and Brookhaven areas of towns.

Video captured by a resident’s Ring camera show a man in dark colored pants and jacket with a hood, black mask and light colored backpack picking something up their front porch. In a still shot from another resident, a man in dark pants and a light colored hoodie can be seen testing a door handle of a vehicle. 

Kearney residents should be proactive with the security of their homes and personal property. If your vehicles can’t be stored in a locked garage, make sure they are locked. Don’t leave valuables, money, garage door openers, or handguns in vehicles parked on driveways or on streets. 

A small investment in motion sensor lights and cameras can deter criminal activity like property damage and vehicle theft. Consider installing lights in poorly lit areas around your home, and cameras near doors and driveways.

Get in the habit of doing a nightly routine to check your vehicle locks, garage doors, and doors to your home to make sure they are all secured.

Anyone with information, videos or pictures about these individuals is urged to contact the Kearney Police Department at 816-407-3700.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story