Det. Mick Lento, of the Lake Township Police Department, has some straight forward advice for township residents: lock the doors of your garages and other residential buildings as well as your vehicles.

The township has been hit by a string of burglaries in recent weeks as thieves focus on garages, barns, and other out-buildings.

Det. Lento said a majority of the buildings involved in the burglaries had been left unlocked.

“We’re getting hit pretty hard,” he said. “We want to get the word out to the residents to secure their homes and buildings.”

Four of the residences hit were on or near Owens Road.

Hand and power tools, generators, and other equipment are being targeted although one resident had venison and fish taken from a freezer.

“We’re seeing some copper and metal being taken – someone looking for scrap material,” Det. Lento said. “But for the most part they’re looking for tools and other items. A lot of it is not showing up in pawn shops so I’ve got a gut feeling they could be storing it somewhere for now before moving it out of here.”

The burglaries have occurred at night and the detective said those responsible are probably looking over neighborhoods during the day.

“If anyone sees a suspicious vehicle driving slow through their neighborhood we want them to call us right away,” he said. “That’s when they’re probably casing the area and then coming back at night.

Thieves hit several residences late last month in the area of East Broadway, taking tools, radiators, and other equipment from garages and out buildings and cash, credit cards, and stereo equipment from vehicles.

Det. Lento can be reached at (419) 666-5500.

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