GREENSBORO — Kevin Moran is one of the latest victims of home burglaries in the New Irving Park neighborhood. Thieves took a video camera, TV and laptop from his Primrose Avenue home about 9 a.m. Monday during a 15-minute trip to drop off his son at school.
Monday night, Moran and dozens of other concerned residents flanked the bleachers at Mendenhall Middle School to hear the latest updates from city officials on the crime plaguing the area.
Police Chief Tim Bellamy, Assistant Chief Dwight Crotts, Sgt. Bud Blaylock and City Councilman Zack Matheny had good news.
“I will tell you that we are close to catching one or two of those crews affecting your neighborhood,” Crotts said. “I can’t stand here and tell you that it will be tomorrow, but there will be an arrest.”
Bellamy said that there are two to three groups of burglars roaming the area. They hide in wooded areas, watching their potential victims leave home. Then, they kick in back doors between 7 a.m. and noon on weekdays to steal jewelry and electronics. They’re in and out in 15 minutes.
Police say one man could be behind burglaries in several neighborhoods.
Kinyan Cortez Bynum, 21, of 4506 Holland Road, was charged Oct. 6 in connection with nine break-ins between Sept. 1 and Sept. 14. Eight were in New Irving Park.
He faces new charges of felony breaking and entering, and larceny after breaking and entering for incidents in another area. More charges could be pending, Crotts said.
Bynum remains in Guilford County jail under a $115,500 bond. His next court appearance is Oct. 27.
Residential burglaries citywide have risen since Sept. 1. The city experiences five to 10 home break-ins a day, Crotts said.
The Kirkwood neighborhood off Lawndale Drive and West Cone Boulevard had at least two similar break-ins last week. Other reports have come from the Starmount area.
“It’s really spread out over the city,” Crotts said. “Mr. Bynum may have hit one in Irving Park and then gone to the southern part of the city in the same day. Then gone to the eastern part. We believe our other groups are doing the same thing.”
Bellamy assured residents that the police are very concerned about the area.
“Some people are talking about that we have a shortage on manpower, but we have enough resources to be in this community and some of the other communities where we’re experiencing problems.”
Blaylock and his five-man community resource team patrol the district along with special officers from the tactical street enforcement team. Crime analysts are creating maps to predict times, dates and locations that are most likely to experience more crime.
Police ask that neighbors continue to look out for one another. Residents should continue to write down license plate numbers of suspicious vehicles and will look to assign captains to subsets within the neighborhood.
“The best thing that we can have is the eyes and ear in the community,” Crotts said. “And if the community takes the time to be involved, that makes the job that much easier.”
Contact Dioni L. Wise at 373-7090 or dioni.wise@news-record.com
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