There have been 51 burglaries in Ames, the majority of which were residential burglaries. Ames police offer tips for students on how to avoid having their homes broken into.

Most of the residential burglaries have been in the north and northeast side of Ames, something that Ames Police Investigations Commander Geoff Huff said was unusual. Laptops, TVs, smaller electronics like iPods and iPads and purses are among some of the items stolen.

Some of the recent burglaries were “walk-ins” where burglars enter through unlocked doors, but windows and doors have also been broken in recently burglarized homes. Huff said the Ames police department is working on quite a few leads and will hopefully have a break before students leave for winter break.

“I think time of year does play a role in it,” Huff said. “This is the time of year where people are out shopping, they’ve got brand-new stuff in the house and makes for a good target. ‘Tis the season to buy electronics, and that’s a lot of what’s been taken.”

Patrick Farrell’s house on the corner of Knapp and Stanton Ave. was broken into over Thanksgiving break.

Farrell, sophomore in advertising, said that three TVs, 40 dollars worth of cans, change and a brand new set of golf clubs were taken. He said all three TVs together were worth nearly $1,000, and the set of golf clubs were worth almost $1,500.

The burglary happened in less than 24 hours between the time one of Farrell’s roommates left Tuesday morning and another returned Wednesday morning. Farrell said the company that was doing repairs on their rental house did not lock the house up Tuesday night, which is how burglars got inside.

“I was amazed that our house got broken into while we had workers here because we had the windows and the roof done over break,” Farrell said. “This 65-inch TV is not a small TV; it takes two people to carry it and we live on a main street. I was just amazed that no one saw two people taking a TV out.”

Farrell said that one of his neighbors’ screen door was tampered with, and someone tried to enter through another neighbor’s window. Farrell and his roommates usually keep the house locked and shades drawn, something Huff said is helpful in preventing burglaries.

“It’s probably reasonable to believe they’re probably walking around, they see something laid out on a table or a counter, and they’re coming in and getting it and getting out,” Huff said about the burglars.

Besides making sure deadbolts and windows are locked, Huff said students could benefit from getting to know their neighbors before break. If any neighbors are going to be in town over break, they can help keep an eye out for suspicious behavior. Huff said it is also important to make sure that nothing valuable like electronics are visible from the outside.

“Small items are expensive, but a lot of people don’t know serial numbers, makes, models and stuff like that,” Huff said. “If there’s stuff you’re not going to take with you, take the time to figure out what you actually own. If we have that information, there’s a better likelihood that we are going to recover it.”

Farrell said that he and his roommates are going to lock their valuables in their individual rooms over winter break to ensure that their belongings will not be stolen again.

Anyone with information about the burglaries can call the non-emergency Ames police number at 515-239-5133 or the anonymous tip line at 515-239-5533. Reward money may be available for anonymous callers who call in to Story County Crime Stoppers.