In the early morning hours of August 20, 2019, the Fitchburg Police Department responded to several reports of burglaries, attempted burglaries and suspicious activity. These reports were concentrated in the area of Pembroke Drive, Restal Street, and Marledge Street. Several home surveillance systems captured at least one adult male walking through backyards and approaching front doors in the area around 2:30 a.m.. Based on reports made to our department thus far, it appears the suspect(s) were searching for unlocked doors and windows. In at least one instance, it appears a screen may have been cut to gain access to an unlocked window. We are continuing to investigate these reports and we anticipate releasing surveillance images as more become available.
We are requesting your assistance in this investigation by:
- Reporting suspicious behavior/activity or criminal activity to us immediately via our non-emergency dispatch number, (608)270-4300. We often hear from homeowners they believed their car or property may have been gone through or entered but because nothing was missing, they did not feel the need to contact us. We would prefer to learn of all criminal or suspicious activity in order to identify patterns or timelines.
- Checking your home surveillance video systems for unusual or suspicious activity early this morning (8/20). Please call our non-emergency dispatch number to report the activity.
We remind all residents, no matter where they live, to practice basic crime prevention:
- Lock all doors and windows. This includes the door into your garage and the door from your garage into your home
- Keep your garage door closed at all times
- Leave exterior lights on or utilize motion detecting lights
- Keep valuables out of plain sight
- Have a crime prevention routine every night and every time you leave your residence to ensure it's secure
We also encourage residents to partner with their neighbors to prevent crime. Know how to get ahold of your neighbor in the event their garage door is open or something seems out of the ordinary.
You are our number one partner in crime prevention. We would always prefer to investigate a suspicious situation at the time it is occurring than learn about it after the fact.
Officers and supervisors are available 24 hours a day to respond to your calls for service or answer questions. We encourage you to program our number into your phone now. You can reach us directly by calling (608)270-4300.
