Millsboro & Laurel, Delaware –  The Delaware State Police are reporting a number of Church burglary incidents in Sussex County that occurred within the past few days.

The investigations into these incidents are active and ongoing. The three churches that were broken into are:

• Carey’s United Methodist Church located at 22053 Careys Camp Road, Millsboro which occurred on January 11, 2020, during the overnight hours.
• Saint Johns AME Church located at 31034 East Trap Pond Road, Laurel which occurred between January 8 and January 11, 2020.
• Trinity Church located at 17237 Phillips Hill Road, Millsboro which occurred between January 6 and January 11, 2020.

Please be watchful and very observant of suspicious activity. If you see something say something to the police by calling 9-1-1. Also, for any information to report in these cases please contact Sergeant W. Miller at of Troop 4, Georgetown at 302-752-3814.

Safeguards to use:

• Lock all outside doors and windows before leaving. Even if it is for a short time, lock all doors.
• Check locks on doors and windows and replace them with secure devices as necessary.
• Install deadbolt locks on all outside doors.
• Always lock all outbuilding.
• Change locks immediately if keys are lost, stolen or if a person with a key and has left or been terminated.
• Whenever possible use curtains or shades on windows.
• Leave a light on, connect to automatic timers to turn on in the evening and off during the day.
• Have adequate exterior lighting. A motion-sensitive light is recommended for dark areas and behind buildings.
• Don’t allow daily deliveries of mail, newspapers or flyers to build up while away. Arrange with the Post Office to hold mail, or arrange for a trusted person to collect it daily.
• Arrange for the lawn to be mowed regularly.
• Trim trees and shrubs so that they cannot be used as hiding places for intruders.
• Consider installing an alarm system as added security.

If  you notice a break-in:

• Do not enter – the burglar may still be inside.
• Call the police-9-1-1
• Do not touch anything until the police have completed their investigation.
• Write down any suspicious person(s) or vehicles.
• Note the descriptions of any suspicious person(s).

If anyone has any information on the listed church burglaries, they are asked to contact Sergeant W. Miller at 302-752-3814. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword “DSP.”

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Presented by the Director of Public Information Sergeant Richard D. Bratz

Released 011220 1314

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