SAGLE — Residents across Sagle are banding together to form a community watch after a spate of burglaries.

A group of 60 or so residents crowded into the Church of the Wildwood on Saturday to meet with a representative of the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office and discuss ways to guard against thefts.

“It was standing room only at the little Church of the Wildwood,” said resident Nancy Gerth.

Gerth said a community watch group and phone trees to keep people advised of incidents are going to be implemented.

“We’re getting organized,” said Gerth, who added that their ranks include retired members of the U.S. military.

Sagle residents are also becoming more vigilant when they spot suspicious activity, according to court documents.

A Sagle business owner reported suspicious activity on July 27, which led to the arrest of a Washington state man who was found to be in possession of a license plate from a trailer stolen from a property management company. Brian Michael Fleenor, a 39-year-old from Camino Island, is charged with possession of stolen property, heroin and methamphetamine, according to court documents.

The bed of Fleenor’s pickup truck had stacks of storage bins and tools, some of which appeared to match items taken in recent burglaries, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The sheriff’s office said in a news release that thieves in Sagle appear to be targeting unoccupied vacation homes. The office took to social media to offer ample advice on protecting their property.

Sheriff’s officials urge homeowners not to place keys in obvious places such as under a doormat or atop a door frame and to use outdoor illumination from dusk until dawn.

Motion-activated lighting on driveways and outbuildings are also effective in deterring thieves. Timers on lighting, TVs and radios in unoccupied homes can create the appearance of occupation, sheriff’s officials said.

Ask trusted neighbors to gather up mail and newspapers if you’re going to be away from your home for an extended period. Keeping driveways plowed and garage door openers unplugged on unoccupied homes can also throw off the scent of burglars, officials said.

They also recommend keeping shrubbery and landscaping around windows trimmed to deny thieves cover and do a video-recorded walk-through of your home, garage and shop to document their contents. Officials further recommend recording serial numbers on property and using an engraver to etch a distinguishing mark on property in the event thieves file off or obliterate a serial number.

Securely affixed or tethered fire-proof safes are good for storing firearms and other valuables.

The sheriff’s office also recommends getting to know your neighbors, looking out for one another and joining the office’s community block watch program.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.