This summer has seen a spike in burglaries in Clinton and DeWitt County, and local authorites hope residents will do a few simple things to keep themselves from falling victim to this type of crime.

DeWitt County Sheriff Jered Shofner says most home burglaries occur during the daytime hours, more specifically between noon and five. He says it is an ideal time because most people are at work.

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To prevent your home from being victimized and intruded into, the Sheriff has several basic things to do. He explains the first and foremost is lock your home any time no one is around. He says burglars are very mobile and with advancements in technology, their targets are no longer hard to find.

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Two prevailing factors can expose home owners or residents to being victims of theft. According to the Sheriff, they are finding burglars have a very specific knowledge about their targets and possessions. He also advises caution when using social media when leaving your home vacant for an extended period of time.

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In the last decade, the Sheriff indicates they have seen a major shift in the focus of stolen items in residential burglaries. Sheriff Shofner says now they are seeing thieves after prescription drugs and firearms. He says those items are very valuable on an open market.

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Not only are trends changing locally for DeWitt County officials, but when they change in other parts of the area, it's only a matter of time before that trend happens in Clinton. Sheriff Shofner indicates because of that, it is vital they have a good relationship with surrounding communities and their law enforcement agencies.

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To keep tabs on what is happening in other parts of the area, the Sheriff will join forces with the Clinton Police Department to host surrounding law enforcement agencies on an everyother-month basis to exchange information. He says it's not uncommon to see crimes be solved because of the information exchanged at the meetings.