Madison police reported on Wednesday that they are investigating several residential robberies in the Regent and Monroe streets area near Camp Randall.
According to Madison police, seven residential burglaries have taken place in the Regent and Dudgeon-Monroe areas since the beginning of February. The area police are investigating includes Breese Terrace, Regent Street and Monroe Street. Students and residents are being warned to lock all doors and windows.
Capt. Jim Wheeler of Madison's south district said the robberies are not a big problem yet. He said the police are warning people to take caution because they do not want the burglaries to persist.
""I'm not going to say that it's increased a lot,"" Wheeler said, ""but it's something to be weary of and that's why [we are informing people].""
According to statistics from the Madison Police Department, three robberies took place on Van Hise Avenue—just west of Camp Randall—in February. He noted that iPods and other electronic devices were most commonly swiped.
Wheeler said he urges anyone who hears or sees ""suspicious activity"" to call police, even if it is a dog barking in the middle of the night. He said police can do much more to stop the problem if students and residents keep them informed.
""If people are unsure if something's suspicious or not, just call us,"" Wheeler said. ""It is better for us to come out and check to make sure that everything is OK at this time rather than us getting dispatched to take a burglary report after the fact.""
