New study ranks Pennsylvania as No. 2 state for holiday break-ins

PITTSBURGH — A new study ranks Pennsylvania as the number two state in the nation for holiday break-ins. Police in Ross Township and across the area said they usually see more burglaries this time of year and are putting out a warning Friday night.

“There does tend to be an uptick in crime going into December as we get closer to the holidays,” said Detective Sgt. Brian Kohlhepp for Ross Township Police Department.

A new study was released on burglary hotspots across the country during the holiday season.

Pennsylvania is one of the states with the most burglaries in December. In fact, Pennsylvaniasees a 40% jump in burglaries around the holidays compared to other months of the year.

Kohlhepp said a lot of home burglaries tend to happen during the day.

“Because the burglars don’t want to encounter any people,” said Kohlhepp. “They want to get in, get jewelry, electronics, whatever they are looking for and be gone.”

Police recommend families have security systems set up with signs outside. Chief Ryan Hawk with the McCandless Police Department said cameras can help police solve cases and catch criminals.

“The Ring doorbell or anything similar device is a vital tool for residents (to) install that helps whenever there’s an actor in these types of crimes,” said Hawk.

Police also recommend you install motion-activated outdoor lights, keep your doors locked and, if you see anyone suspicious in your neighborhood, call the police.

State police said they’ve been seeing some burglaries and have ways to warn families.

“Technology is advancing to the point we can look at our reporting system, (which) can alert us of a string of burglaries in a certain area to see if they are connected or not and then be able to alert the community members to be on high alert,” said Pennsylvania State Trooper Rocco Gagliardi.

Normally a lot of people go away for the holidays. In McCandless, residents can ask police to check on their homes while they are on vacation.A new study ranks Pennsylvania as the number two state in the nation for holiday break-ins. Police in Ross Township and across the area said they usually see more burglaries this time of year and are putting out a warning Friday night.