DEARBORN — The city has been the target of recent serial break-ins. As safety concerns grow, police are asking residents to secure their homes and be extra vigilant. They say the surest way to maintain safe neighborhoods is for residents to help patrol their own streets.

Many of the recent home invasions are committed by crews of serial burglars, said Police Chief Ron Haddad. Some criminals commit multiple burglaries – sometimes hundreds – before they are caught and frequently victimize neighboring cities as well.

“Ultimately, we arrest over 90 percent, but they also commit serial crimes,” Haddad said. “They commit a lot of crimes before we catch them.”

Last year, 240 homes were burglarized in Dearborn, according to police data. Most of the time, the criminals broke in by force. About 400 total properties were burglarized.

Homes at Dearborn’s borders are burglarized the most, the reports show. Haddad said while that might suggest high crime levels trickling into the city, the surge is most likely due to denser home populations.

Recent invasions

Earlier this month, a group of four teenagers faced charges for a string of break-ins when they were chased down by police for robbing a home on April 1. Lawrence Kellerman, 17, was arrested. The other three were turned over to the Wayne County Juvenile Court, where charges are pending.

He added that the crew broke into dozens of homes and more than 400 vehicles two days prior to their arrest.

Two of the teens were Arab Americans, Haddad said.

Last month, a man forced his way into a Dearborn home, posing as a DTE repairman. A family member, whose identity is being withheld for security, said the family was unharmed and that police are on the lookout. The perpetrator was described as a 5’6” thin, White, with brown eyes. He was sporting a light brown beard and a blue hoodie.

Late last year, another Dearborn resident told The Arab American News that two men attempted to break into her home. She said that upon her mother hearing a noise, she was confronted with the two men standing in her kitchen. She said they escaped through a window and escaped in a grey car where another man was waiting.

In February, Dearborn resident Paul Ziolkowski, 43, was arrested for breaking into several homes in the area, after he was found stealing a snow blower from a
garage.

That same month, two men, Cornelious Tyre McLemore and Terrian Ray Paige, were arrested for second-degree home invasion, larceny in a building and other charges, after a neighbor spotted the two suspects in an alley behind the home and called police.

Last November, the community was on high alert following a well-publicized series of break-ins in Dearborn and four neighboring cities, where a man was robbing homes and raping the women inside in the early morning hours.

Last October, Shady Bin-Emad-Sami Karim, 27, was arrested for attempting to break into a home on Horger Street. Karim tried to enter through a rear sliding door, but fled when he saw the homeowner.

Two men attempted to break into The Arab American News last month at around 2:30 a.m., while 11 of the newspapers’ employees were working inside. One of the suspects, Deandre Bey, was arrested soon after the incident. The second suspect, Kawayne Powell, turned himself in a week later.

Collaborative effort

Residents know best what does and does not belong in their neighborhoods, said Cpl. Dan Bartok of the Dearborn Police Department.

That is why the department is reemphasizing its efforts to build partnerships with the community. Bartok said they regularly encourage residents to be aware of activity in their neighborhoods and report anything that seems out of place.

“We highly encourage that neighbors get to know and get to trust one another,” Haddad said.

That way, if someone sees a truck pull into a resident’s driveway when they are not home, a red flag can be raised, he added.

Often times, however, residents – especially Arab Americans – observe suspicious activity but do not report it, Bartok said.

Bartok wanted community members to understand that they are not bothering police when they call about suspicious
activity.

“We can’t serve the community if we don’t have a partnership and a relationship with our community,” he added.

Suspicious activity

While each neighborhood has its own qualifications of what is normal and what is suspicious, there are methods that most burglars employ.

Most burglars are just seeking an easy way to get hold of valuables and money, Haddad said.

Often, the criminals know what the police know and are able to target multiples homes and vehicles for days or months before they are captured.

Many criminals also circle close by neighborhoods and cities, but the easiest targets are areas with an abundance of homes close together, Haddad said.

Although criminal groups hit the hardest, many burglars are opportunistic individuals who may know the victim and are waiting for the perfect time to score a few possessions.

Some activity that may be classified as suspicious are:

• Vehicles that appear like they don’t belong in the neighborhood, circling it and driving slowly down the streets and stopping in front of houses.

• Individuals or groups of people walking up and down neighborhood streets, or on bikes, looking into driveways, peeking into garages and doors.

• Breaking of glass is heard.

• Vehicles that do not appear that they belong in a neighborhood or seem that they’re not parked at a particular house.

• People pushing lawnmowers or carrying televisions down the street at night.

As warm weather approaches, routine scams of burglars posing as maintenance or repair workers begin to emerge.

“They’ll convince a homeowner that they need a repair done in their house and to give them cash up front and tell them they’ll come back,” Bartok said.

The “repairmen” never shows up again and residents are defrauded by the scam artists.

Other times, the fake repairmen will talk their way into a house or ask to use the restroom, taking the opportunity to steal something.

What residents should do

Residents can take measures to help deter burglars and ensure their homes and neighborhoods remain safe.

A fundamental step is for neighbors to get familiar with one another and communicate when they will be out for long periods of time. Homeowners will be able to tell if a stranger enters a home.

Haddad urged homeowners to keep their homes and vehicles locked, keep all sides of their homes well-lit with motion detection lights and to turn their alarm systems on.

“The harder we make it to get your stuff, the less likely you’re going to be a victim,” he said.

Haddad added not to let anyone, even a DTE worker, into your home when you did not expect them to come or are not aware of issues in your house.

He added that if  someone claiming to represent DTE or other utility companies shows up unexpectedly, residents should call the company to confirm they sent the person.

Police suggest residents never attempt to apprehend a criminal or investigate a crime themselves.

Homeowners can ask police to include their homes in patrols when they go on vacation. Officers will check up on a home once a day.

Bartok advised community members to speak up when they see something out of place, encouraging a free flow of information about crime in the city.

With active policing, high visibility patrol and great citizen participation, police and citizens can effectively work collaboratively to safeguard their neighborhoods.

To report suspicious activity anonymously, call Dearborn’s Neighborhood Watch Program at (313) 943-3030. In case of an emergency, immediately call 911.