SANDPOINT - Bonner County Sheriff's Office representatives hope residents will work together to clamp down on recent rash of burglaries.

Following criminal trends in Kootenai County over the past several weeks, an increased number of reported burglaries have arisen in southern Bonner County since Nov. 1. According to Detective Gary Johnston, the crimes follow a similar pattern to the Kootenai County reports, but there's no way to tell if the same individuals are responsible.

"They appear to be random acts just like in Kootenai County," he said. "There's no way to say that they're the same people, but the methods are certainly the same."

In a typical case, the burglars will forcibly enter a residence by breaking a door or window. In a matter of only a few minutes, they will quickly grab anything of value that is loose and easy to cart away. Homes already hit have lost jewelry, guns, small safes and electronics to the burglars.

"If they can pack it off, they're going to take it," Johnston said.

The burglars have also shown uncharacteristic brashness in their activity. In one case, they broke into a shop with an attached residence even though the owners were home. According to Johnston, the owners heard their dog barking and assumed it had seen a deer. Moments later, they heard a car drive away from their residence and figured it was only the newspaper delivery. By the time they discovered the thefts, the perpetrators were long gone.

To prevent additional burglaries from occurring and collect leads on the perpetrators, Johnston encourages residents to keep an eye out for any unusual activity in their neighborhood.

"Be sure to watch out for not only your house, but your neighbor's house too," he said.

Residents can help identify burglars scouting for potential theft opportunities by reporting individuals who visit their home and ask unusual questions. A burglar might pose as a door-to-door salesman or an individual looking for a specific person in order to get a sense of the home. In addition, vehicles driving slowly and aimlessly around a neighborhood may be canvassing it for targets. Locals should direct any potential tips to Johnston at 263-8417, ext. 3058.

"I don't want to put anyone into a state of panic or anything," Johnston said. "I'm just noticing a trend, and we want to be more proactive than reactive in dealing with it."