Sep 10, 2021

Sheriff: alert neighbors are the best weapon against theft

Posted Sep 10, 2021 5:01 PM

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett urges residents to call his office if they see something suspicious.

And, to not worry about whether it turns out to be nothing.

Puett says a key to fighting crime is alert neighbors who call when they see something out of the ordinary.

“We would rather respond and find out, well, maybe that’s their cousin that’s in from Indiana that’s visiting,” Puett tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “Nobody’s going to be upset about that. It’s real easy to check and verify, but what we don’t want is we don’t want those items stolen or somebody victimized.”

Puett urges citizens to report suspicious activity to his office. And Puett says a little intervention can head off big problems.

“Check on your neighbors,” Puett says. “Make sure everything’s going well and, again, nobody’s asking you to go intervene, but if can get information, you can call law enforcement.”

Puett says his office wants to hear from you about suspicious activity and would rather check out something and have it turn out to be nothing than to not be alerted to an actual crime.

And, Puett gives an example of a report his office received that seemed minor at the time.

“The guy was in a stolen car, had stolen plates. I believe he had drugs, 19 outstanding felony warrants,” Puett says. “And so, a little thing might turn into be a bigger thing.”

Puett says alert neighbors are the best weapon against theft.