West Memphis Police bust up suspected burglary ring

West Memphis Police bust up suspected burglary ring

Juveniles largely responsible for string of break- ins, says WMPD captain

ralphhardin@gmail.com One piece at a time.

That’s the strategy the West Memphis Police used to put an end to a recent rash of home burglaries on the northwest end of the city.

“When it comes to these types of burglaries, there’s often very little physical evidence to go by,” explained West Memphis Police Department Enforcement/Criminal Investigation Division Commander Capt. Joe Baker.

“What we were able to do is, through chatter on the street and in speaking with some of our informant sources, put together a pretty strong list of suspects.”

Baker said that while linking suspects to specific break-ins was not always possible, information led police to breaks in other connected cases.

“We weren’t necessarily able to say, ‘this one did this break-in, and this one did this one,’ but once we were able to talk to some of these individuals they weren’t going to tell on themselves but they were willing to tell us about what their buddy did. One-byone, we were able to dismantle a pretty sizable ring of juveniles that we feel were largely responsible for a majority of these burglaries.”

Baker said that once the suspects — some minors, but others old enough to be charged as adults — were identified and questioned, police were able to build enough evidence to begin filing charges.

“We arrested one for a rape, another on some drug charges, and that way we were able to get them off the streets while we continue to work these cases.”

As part of a continuing effort to address public concerns about keeping their neighborhoods safe, the WMPD will be holding a special public forum this Thursday evening at Richland Elementary, beginning at 6 p.m.

“This is something we’ve put together to reach out to the public and share an update about these break-ins and let them ask questions,” Baker said. “We also want to give them some information about what they can do to help feel safe in their homes and protect their families and their property.”

By Ralph Hardin