Henrico Police see major uptick in burglaries

HENRICO, Va. (WWBT) - Henrico Police saw a significant uptick in burglaries last year.

According to the police division’s 2022 annual crime report, data shows a 40% increase in burglaries throughout the county from 2021 to 2022.

“You always have to protect yourself and protect your property,” Henrico Police Chief Eric English said.

The Chief says these break-ins are scattered around the county but are happening more often in the West End.

Police say they’re seeing clusters of burglaries in high-density residential areas (apartments, townhomes) like the Quarter Mill Road and Tuckernuck Road neighborhoods, Wistar Road and Bremner Blvd areas.

Chief English says thieves go for electronics and guns once they get inside homes.

“We always talk about, if you see something, say something. People are seeing individuals in their neighborhood that maybe we need to meet to figure out what’s going on. We encourage people to make sure they call us,” he said.

As for commercial burglaries, police say they’re mostly happening along the W. Broad Street corridor, Parham Road, Staples Mill Road and Crockett Street.

Chief English says crooks are targeting one popular industry right now.

“Vape shops. Those products are easy to sell out on the market. So, individuals are going after those. Cigarettes, any type of vaping devices,” the Chief said.

English says another reason for the spike in burglaries is that many businesses are leaving themselves vulnerable.

“What we’re finding is that many businesses don’t have alarms or security cameras, and that creates an issue for us. We encourage people to have some security measures. Make sure you do that,” English said.

Moving forward, Chief English is urging the community to be more vigilant. He says whether you’re a home or business owner, you should always lock your doors, leave a light on, invest in security equipment, and be aware of your surroundings.

“We get very complacent because things haven’t happened in our neighborhood. People tend to get complacent, and that’s when things happen,” Chief English said.

The annual crime report shows a 15% overall increase in Part I offenses, including murder, rape, robbery, assault and other crimes. Click here for a full breakdown of the report.

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