Fillmore marshal investigating break-ins

Saturday, August 20, 2011

FILLMORE -- Marshal Darrel Bunten used the forum of the August town council meeting to ask for public help in a series of recent break-ins.

Bunten said several Fillmore break-ins all follow a similar pattern. The doors are kicked in on unoccupied homes. The targets are primarily items that can be sold for scrap -- copper plumbing or wire, air conditioning units and other metal fixtures.

In some homes, the police have found fixtures torn out of the walls, in others, the door has been kicked in with little else in the way of damage.

The Fillmore Police Department is running into a problem, though, of there either being no witness or at least no one willing to talk.

"Nobody seems to know anything," Bunten said. "I know we're a tight-knit community, but I can't do anything about this if I don't have information."

He asked that residents take the time to look out for strange vehicles or people as well as perhaps activities at odd times.

"If you see anything, by all means please call dispatch, call me -- write down vehicle descriptions, license plate numbers, whatever," Bunten said.

Putnam County 911 Dispatch can be reached at 653-5115 for non-emergency situations.

Town officials say they are simply asking for some help from residents in preventing crimes of this nature.

"If we can just get the town folks to start talking a little bit we can straighten this thing out," Bunten said.

Council President Wes Terhune concurred.

"We have such a low crime rate -- let's keep it that way."

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  • Council President Wes Terhune concurred.

    "We have such a low crime rate -- let's keep it that way."

    That would be because the Fillmore criminals commit the majority of their crimes in Greencastle.

    -- Posted by ProblemTransmission on Sat, Aug 20, 2011, at 6:00 AM
  • Maybe it is just a ghost...have you ever pondered that?

    Just some angry spirit wanting to mess things up. He is really angry. I would move far away.

    -- Posted by Apollo13 on Sat, Aug 20, 2011, at 11:15 AM
  • the marshall do something? rofl so funny !

    -- Posted by JrsWife on Sat, Aug 20, 2011, at 12:35 PM
  • Wow some of you people seriously need to get a hobby if the only thing you have to do is sit on here and make ridiculous comments

    -- Posted by gcmom4 on Sat, Aug 20, 2011, at 9:01 PM
  • I will say the current marshal knows his stuff...He does so much more behind the scenes than we will ever know.

    -- Posted by ProblemTransmission on Sun, Aug 21, 2011, at 6:06 AM
  • Have you thought about checking the scrap yard in Greencastle? People have to show ID to turn stuff in there.

    -- Posted by jm46135 on Sun, Aug 21, 2011, at 5:42 PM
  • Im going to have to agree with Problem Transmission. Darrel has done more for the Town of Fillmore than almost anyone who has ever held the thankless position. I wonder when the last time the Town Board thanked Darrel instead of thinking to themselves, here's your paycheck, and oh by the way... people are speeding in town. Darrel has a great staff under him. Keep up the good work!! The reasonable and knowledgeable people of the community know you cannot always be at the right place at the right time.

    As far as going to the scrap yards to attempt to identify a suspect... It is a little more difficult than one may think. Copper could be stripped and cut into pieces. Other metal also cut and defaced. So it is not in the same form as it was when it was stolen.

    -- Posted by concerned3 on Tue, Aug 23, 2011, at 11:32 AM
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