The Platte County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate a series of burglaries in rural Platte County but warns citizens to take caution in promoting misinformation online.
The crimes, one of which took place as recently as Friday, Dec. 16, continue to occur north of Highway 92 and east of Interstate 29. According to a spokesperson, the sheriff’s office has continued to increase patrols in the area around Interurban Road but has been unable to determine if all of the crimes are connected to the same group of suspects or not.
According to alerts, the burglaries have generally been occurring between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. by forced entry into residences with no one home. Items targeted in the burglaries include TVs, electronics, firearms and money.
The Platte County Sheriff’s Office continues to seek more information on two vehicles potentially tied to the crimes. The first is an older, dark Ford F-150 pickup truck, and the other, seen last week, was described as a boxy older model Mercedes car, although the make could be different.
Speculation and rumors have spread on social media, but Platte County sheriff Mark Owen warned residents not to confront suspicious parties. He advises those with potential information should contact the sheriff’s office at (816) 858-3521 for non-emergencies or 911 for emergencies.
“Our deputies are working hard to apprehend the burglars and hopefully return property to those who have been victims,” said Maj. Erik Holland of the Platte County Sheriff’s Office in an alert. “We are aware of some of the social media postings by residences (sic) and ask that you use discretion in that area.
“We have already seen examples of misinformation on social media.”
Holland advised that residents have been very helpful in providing information but also said that it is not uncommon for the sheriff’s office not to release excess information while conducting an investigation like this one. The speculation online could actually be counterproductive to law enforcement efforts.