Boise has seen an uptick in outdoor thefts in recent weeks. Warmer weather is a factor
Treasure Valley residents have taken to social media in recent weeks to report an upswing in thefts from patios and truck beds.
At least five incidents have been posted on the social media website Nextdoor in the past week, with the central theme being patio furniture and easy-to-pick-up items such as bikes and objects in pickup trucks.
On Monday morning, a resident living at Trent Avenue and Reese Street in Boise recorded someone stealing their hanging egg chair from their porch at around 2:15 a.m.
That same overnight, two patio chairs were stolen in Southeast Boise on Parkcenter Boulevard, about 3.5 miles away from the robbery of the egg chair. The resident who made the post, Tom Simpson, said he had alerted the Boise Police Department.
A resident in the Sunset neighborhood in the North End also posted that her husband’s bike was stolen from their house late last week.
A Drexel University study in 2017 found that violent crime and disorderly conduct increases during the warmer months between May and September. An analysis of data for Boise compiled by the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program between 2010 and 2012 saw an increase of 17% in offenses from June to August for Boise PD. In more extreme cases, heat waves have long been linked to spikes in crime.
In March, Boise posted on Facebook that vehicular thefts also become more common when the weather warms up.
“Vehicle burglaries are a crime we receive reports on year-round,” the post said. “However, as the weather gets warmer and the days longer, we can see an increase in these types of crimes.”
In February, the department reported at least 27 vehicle burglaries, six commercial burglaries, and two residential burglaries.
Earlier this week, a Boise resident living in a neighborhood off Overland and Maple Grove roads recorded someone searching through the bed of their truck in the driveway. A resident in the North End also posted that their camper was stolen from their residence.
Boise police encourage residents to remove valuable items from their vehicles overnight and make sure they are locked. The department also said that it sees a lot of thefts from parking lots at recreational areas, parks and trails, and that residents should bring along only what is necessary and take it with them once they leave their car.
“We have seen individuals target these parking lots for thefts. In some instances, they have been breaking car windows if they know a purse or wallet is inside,” the department stated in its Facebook post.
The department urges that people call 911 if they witness a crime in progress or call non-emergency dispatch at 208-377-6790 to report a theft.
