Police Battle Burglaries, Thefts from Vehicles in Potomac

Montgomery County Police are looking into several burglaries and thefts from vehicles that swept Potomac in the beginning of May.

Burglaries are a prevalent concern in Potomac, especially after a rise in residential burglaries in the end of March, said 1st District Community Services Officer Michael Prather. The 1st District Police Department distributed a burglary alert on April 7 alerting residents to the trend and offering advice about how to prevent burglaries.

Even with the police's warnings, two more burglaries occurred in the beginning on May.

• Property was stolen during a residential burglary in the 11000 block of Haislip Court on May 4. The burglary occurred between 8:55 a.m. and 12:36 p.m. The suspect forced entry into the house.
• A commercial burglary happened at some time between 8:30 p.m. on May 8 and 8:30 a.m. on May 9. The suspect forced entry into the church and stole property.

To prevent burglaries, police recommend locking doors and windows when residents are not home and alerting neighbors when they will be out of town. Timers on lights, radios and televisions are also ways to decrease awareness that residents are not home.

Thefts from vehicles are a concern the Montgomery County Police have worked to prevent and control; however, five thefts from a vehicle occurred in Potomac between May 2 and May 8.

• A theft from a vehicle happened on May 2 between 9:15 a.m. and 11:50 a.m. in the 10800 block on Falls Road. The suspect forced entry into the car and stole property inside.
• A car was broken into some time between May 4 and May 6 in the 13400 block of Potomac Tennis Lane. The suspect forced entry into the car and stole property.
• A theft from a vehicle happened in the 10300 block of River Road on May 6 between 2:32 p.m. and 2:37 p.m. The suspect forced entry and stole property.
• The intersection of River Road and Carderock Spring Road was the location of a theft from a vehicle on May 6 between noon and 2 p.m. The suspect forced entry and stole property.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 9100 block of Bells Mill Road on May 8 between midnight and 2 a.m. The suspect forced entry and stole property.

Anyone with information about the burglaries or thefts from vehicles can call the Montgomery County Police tip line at 240-773-TIPS (8477) or 866-411-TIPS (8477). Tip can also be submitted online.