Fayetteville Officer Covers a New Beat, Radio

Saturday's program focused on a burglary case police solved just a couple weeks ago. Most people have probably heard the advice before, this time it is from a professional who has taken to the airwaves.

"Hello radio listeners, this is Sergeant Houp. I have a guest here in the studio with me today, and he's not a typical guest... Robert, why did you do all these things? What are you doing this for?" "Mainly to support a drug habit," convicted burglar Robert Jason Wright said. "You would just go on a run, that's what they call it a run. You would break in to maybe 10-12 houses in two or three days."

Wright spent the day telling all of his secrets to Fayetteville radio listeners. "A lot of people leave their garage door openers on the sun visors when they come home," Wright said. "Then they leave their cars open, and if the garage door is open, you're giving me the keys to get into your house."

Wright spoke on Fayetteville Police Sergeant David Houp's weekly radio program to tell residents how to protect themselves from people just like him.

Wright is facing 100 counts of felony burglary and theft charges. He is now telling everyone the tricks of his trade. "People take their cell phones and hide them under the seat, but they leave them plugged into the cigarette lighter," Wright said. "The burglar sees that and will break the window, and take the phone or radar detector or whatever is plugged in there.""The houses have money, and if there are no warning stickers or dogs, you're a prime candidate for a burglar to break into your house," Wright said.

"Property crimes will always be a major problem because of the people, they don't record the serial number to help us recover their merchandise," Houp said. "This is a major problem."

Houp says the criminals are the real property protection experts. He says residents need to know what to do to avoid being an easy target.

"It isn't pleasant to think you've been burglarized at that time of the morning between 7 and 8, when everyone in the entire family is home," burglary victim Tanya Noble said.

Mrs. Noble was one of Robert Wright's victims, he got into her car after the garage door was left open.

"You don't feel that safe to stay in your own house with your car unlocked in your own garage," Noble said. "I don't know what else you can do besides stay completely locked up. Kind of sad commentary that we have to live like that."

Sergeant Hoop and Robert Wright say leaving anything unlocked is like an open invitation for a burglar.

They say to always lock homes and cars, close garage doors and make sure the home at least looks as if someone is home at all times. That is advice from a professional.