Burglaries in Sedona are down in number for the year to date and so is the sophistication of those committing the acts, according to Cmdr. Ron Wheeler and Detective Lucas Wilcoxson, both of Sedona Police Department.

“Last year, we had burglaries that showed evidence of being more planned and causing less damage. This year we have more of the kick, smash and grab situations,” Wheeler said. “Many of these are crimes of opportunity where the person sees a computer or a purse or a game system sitting on the front seat of a car and grabs it.”

Wheeler believes last year’s perpetrators were from out of town, setting up a homestead locally and then moving on to another location.

This year’s opportunists tend to be teenagers who live in the area.

The list of burglaries to date for the year totals 47, but Wilcoxson said that as many as 50 percent of those are unfounded, which means the person reported something missing, but later discovered it in another location.

Another piece of good news is that more arrests are being made.

Wheeler credited Wilcoxson with developing a task management system that’s tightened up procedures and expanded lines of communication not just within the department but with other agencies, including the sheriff’s offices in Yavapai County and Coconino County and with Cottonwood Police Department.

“It usually starts with a phone call from one to the other, saying we’re seeing this, what are you seeing,” Wheeler said. “By sharing information we save ourselves a lot of man hours.”

In addition, Wheeler said the public’s help has been critical.

“Having them call us right away is huge,” he said. “It’s not a bother, even if it’s 3 a.m. We’re here to serve 24/7 and we’d rather get the call right away than have them wait until it’s 9 a.m. and it’s a done deal.”

Of all the things that residents can do to better protect themselves, he and Wilcoxson stressed getting to know the neighbors and the cars they drive.

“Let your neighbors know if you’re going away, have them take in your newspaper and put out your trash. Also, make your house look lived in,” they said. “Set lights on timers and have them go on and off at different times in different rooms.”

Neighbors are the best line of defense because they know something’s wrong when a pool van is parked in front of a house that doesn’t have a pool or a moving truck is backed up to a house where someone is away just for the week.

“You can tell which neighborhoods are paying attention and which ones are not,” Wilcoxson said.

One homeowner in the Saddlerock area who was recently burglarized lost jewelry, cash and electronics.

She said the people who own the house next door do not live there, instead renting it out as a vacation property which means they aren’t any help in deterring neighborhood thefts.

To help residents assess their individual situations, SPD offers free walkthroughs, suggesting fixes that are low-cost or free.

One simple fix starts at the front door where the latch plate is typically held in place by two short screws, making the door easy to kick in.

The officers recommended replacing the stock screws with two 2 1/2 inch screws making the door far more secure.

They also said to be sure the front door is solid since hollow core doors are easy to break down.

New technology can also be helpful.

One system, known as Wilife Spy Security Cam, positions cameras throughout the house and will call the resident’s cell phone, transmitting videos of the intruder.