Summer is a prime time for crime.
Madison Police Department spokesperson Mike Hanson said Madison sees an increase in crime and service calls during the summer months because people spend more time outside, especially downtown.
This annual rise in crime is what Lt. Joe Balles calls the ""warm weather phenomenon."" He said the warm weather, not the decreased student presence, has the biggest impact on summer crime levels in Madison.
Police Capt. Mary Schauf said along with increased crime rates downtown, the city also notices a higher rate of burglaries during the summer months because of open windows and unattended property.
""Even if you're there, if you have a window to climb into, use window vent locks,"" she said.
Lt. Eric Holen of the UW-Madison Police Department said the main targets for burglaries are vacant apartments or houses.
""Any unattended or unlocked property that's there for a long time, such as a vacant apartment, could be inviting to someone who is looking for a crime of opportunity,"" he said.
Holen said mailboxes filled with junk mail, neglected lawns and a lack of lighting all all tip burglars off that a house is empty. He suggested leaving the shades down and using light timers when not at home.
""Those are things we tell people not only on campus but in any other community where they want to create the appearance that someone is there and not advertise extended absence,"" Holen said.
UW-Madison junior Abby Panozzo is living in Madison for the summer and plans on taking a weeklong vacation. She said she is not worried about leaving her things in her apartment because she takes precautionary measures.
""I'll normally close my blinds and keep my light on, and I have someone pick up my mail,"" Panozzo said.
Schauf warned students who will be gone for any extended period of time over the summer to take valuables—such as laptops and iPods—with them.
""There's no reason that you shouldn't take that kind of stuff with you,"" Schauf said. ""If you are going to be gone, find a way to store your stuff so it's not a sitting duck target.""
Holen said bicycle thefts also increase in the summer, and advised students to lock their bicycles and check on them regularly if they are kept outside.
Another thing many students do not think about, Schauf said, is leaving doors propped open when moving things in and out of apartments and houses. She said keeping doors closed lowers the risk of theft.
""While it's a huge hassle, you just don't know who you're letting in,"" she said.
If something is stolen, MPD and UWPD encourage students to report it. Schauf and Holen both said the police would be in full force over the summer, despite the lower student population.
""We're able to do more proactive policing because there are less students, so there is more opportunity for patrolling and active reinforcement,"" Holen said.
