Sidney Police Urge Residents to be Wary

SIDNEY--Sidney Police are investigating a rash of car break-ins and attempted break-ins in Sidney and the surrounding area on Saturday, October 14th and in the early morning hours on the 15th . A number of Sidney residents reported items being taken out of cars parked on the street or in driveways. The Police Department asks for any information, be it photos, videos or eyewitness descriptions.

A Sidney resident was contacted by the Sun-Telegraph after she had posted on Facebook of an account of four men approaching her car parked in her driveway around midnight on Saturday. She told the Sun-Telegraph that there were four men in total, and they were checking inside of her vehicle looking for any valuables to take. She was able to capture the incident on a home security camera, and provided the footage to the Sidney Police Department.

At least two of these men were spotted in another town, and Sidney police have been working closely with other law enforcement agencies trying to apprehend the suspects.

Sidney Police Chief Joe Aikens spoke with the Sun-Telegraph Tuesday morning, and said that he was pretty sure these weren't local teenagers that were involved in these incidents, but rather an organized group of thieves. The Cheyenne County area experienced similar incidents over the past few years, and he believes these suspects might be connected to a larger group. He also said that it is very important that any resident report any theft, or attempted theft, of items from vehicles, no matter how small the item or seemingly inconsequential the incident might seem. This information will help the police and other law enforcement agencies identify the suspects and help put a stop to these incidents.

The police urge residents to contact the Sidney Police Department at 308-254-5515 if any of their cars are broken into or they see any suspicious people loitering in neighborhoods late at night. Seemingly inconsequential information can often be crucial to helping an investigation of this type.

Sidney Police Department also encourages residents to invest in home security cameras if possible.

If you see a break-in in progress, call 911 immediately! Provide the 911 dispatcher with as much information as possible, such as:

• Location - Provide an address, block number, or specific location in a parking lot.

• Description of the suspect - Provide as much information as you can, i.e. sex, race, age, height, weight, hair color and length, color and length of facial hair, colors and style of clothing, and identifying marks such as tattoos and piercings.

• Direction - If the suspect flees, give the direction of travel. If they flee on a bicycle or in a vehicle, describe the color, make, model, and license plate number, if it is safe to do so.