BELFAST — The Belfast Police are appealing to the public in an effort to help identify the person or persons responsible for a recent spate of break-ins in the area.

The first reported incident occurred Oct. 11, and 16 cases of burglary have been reported between then and now, according to Detective Gerry Lincoln.

While the majority of the break-ins have occurred in the downtown area, there are also reported incidents on the outskirts of Belfast. The most recent break-in, which occurred over the weekend, took place at a residence outside the downtown area.

Though police aren’t sure whether all of the instances are related, they suspect that a “good portion” are, Lincoln said.

The thief, or thieves, has only struck residences and garages of people not at home, leading to questions of whether or not targets are being surveilled ahead of time.

The buildings burglarized have included residences, houses being built or renovated, garages, and other outdoor storage areas.

Lincoln said that all of the targeted buildings were accessible to the person or persons responsible, and is asking the public to lock their residences and any other buildings on their property.  

In addition to locking doors, police are asking locals to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity around their residences and other nearby homes. If anything looks amiss, Lincoln said residents should contact Belfast Police immediately, as they can respond quickly and increase the odds of capturing the culprit(s).

Police have released a list and images of some of the larger items that have been stolen, and are asking locals to keep an eye out should any of them show up for sale, or discarded.

Those items include a white Cannondale mountain bike, a grey bike with fat tires, a black SCOTT mountain bike, and a white Naish paddleboard.

A set of Goodyear all-terrain tires were also stolen, size 31x10.5R15. Also missing with the tires are the black D window rims they were attached to.

The value of the items stolen in the rash of thefts is easily into the thousands, Lincoln said.

Anyone with information about the break-ins, or any of the missing items is encouraged to call Belfast Police at 338-2420 and ask to speak with  Detective Lincoln, or the supervisor on duty.

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com