Spree of Church Burglaries

JACKSON, Miss. -- At least four Jackson churches have been burglarized in the last week, police said. The most recent break-in was reported Monday morning at the Cornerstone M.B. Church. http://www.wapt.com/crime-stoppers/22333813/detail.html

As you read this story you will find a common them among the churches. All the items that were stolen were electronic equipment. Why to burglars break into churches. They do it because they know that they can steal something of value and get away with it. They are looking for fast cash.

What can you do? Over and over again I talk about the importance of burglar alarms systems and video surveillance. These items serve as a deterrence and also aid law enforcement in catching the criminals and ultimately prosecuting them.

In the mean time you should take a photograph of everything of value within your church. You also need to record item, model, and serial numbers. This list should be kept both at the church and also at a separate location. This information will be essential in making insurance claims, as well as, for providing to the police. Most criminals attempt to pawn stolen merchandise for quick cash. These lists can be provided to local pawn shops. They can also be entered into a national database which would allow for law enforcement agencies all over the country to cross reference the information.