McQuead

ENTERPRISE — As prices rise, so do the tendencies for people to get light-fingered and take things that are not theirs, Enterprise Police Chief Kevin McQuead told the City Council at its last meeting Monday, March 14.

The chief elaborated on that March 23 in an interview with the Chieftain.

“When we have increasing prices across the board, people become desperate,” he said. “It was good that the city council got it and we want the public to, as well.”

He wants the public to be aware of the potential for theft at their homes and businesses.

“I just want to make sure people are aware of their things and not leaving things out,” he said. “Let’s keep the honest people honest.”

McQuead said he doesn’t have numbers or a percentage to illustrate the increase in crime, but it has been noticeable.

“We are seeing a slight uptick in thefts,” he said.

McQuead said the county, as a whole, is vulnerable. In addition to homes and businesses, he said, storage units can be targets for thieves.

“Everything’s vulnerable with that kind of behavior,” he said. “People need to take the necessary precautions.”

In addition to not leaving items in one’s yard that might tempt a thief, he suggested installing security cameras. He said they are both a good deterrent and the video can be used as evidence in case of a theft.

“The owner can hand over that video and we can investigate any case,” he said.

But the real point is to get the public’s help preventing crime.

“Think about your yard and what’s available for the prying eyes of the public,” McQuead said. “We want to be proactive and have homeowners do too. … We can’t keep an eye on everybody’s things.”