Theft and burglary are crimes that happen every single day in Springfield; they can happen to anyone. The common thought is “It can never happen to me,” until it happens.
Cheyenne Weaver has been a victim of these crimes at a pace of about once per year since 2020.
“My car has been broken into three times since moving to Springfield,” Weaver said.
The first time, Weaver’s wallet was stolen from her car outside of her apartment complex.
“This wallet contained all of my debit/credit cards, gift cards, identification cards (my social security card and Driver’s license) and cash,” Weaver explained. “My belongings were never recovered, and hundreds of dollars in charges were applied to two different cards.”
The thief or thieves went on an overnight buying spree with Weaver's money.
“They spent money at different places across town during the wee hours of the morning, before I woke up for work,” Weaver said. “There were charges from local establishments, as well as online retailers like eBay and Amazon.”
It took about a week for Weaver to get her money back into her account, after she disputed the charges with her bank. During this time period, her accounts were overdrawn and she was unable to purchase groceries, gas or anything else.
“I was a social worker at the time, and I was distraught.” Weaver said, “All I could think is, ‘I am paid to help people overcome some of the most difficult times in their life. I work every day to help people. Why in the world would someone take the little money I make doing such difficult work?’”
It happened again — and again
Every year, thousands of people in Springfield fall victim to theft. It is one of the most common crimes in the world. The likelihood of police or investigators finding out who committed the crime is slim to none. Without having the proper knowledge on how to protect your property, you can fall victim to these crimes, just like Weaver.
Unfortunately for Weaver, the 2020 theft was only the first time her car was broken into. In 2021, she was using a vehicle that had broken locks and her wallet was once again stolen.
“Hundreds of dollars in charges,” Weaver said, “These were individual charges this time, though. I took a day off work this time, because I wanted to help the police find the person.”
She contacted the organizations that the charges were made through, and sent the police a possible description on the suspect.
In the email Weaver received from Kelly Sisco, Springfield Police Department Service Specialist, the officer wrote, “I’m happy we figured out who it was!”
Weaver initially felt relieved, but the suspect never showed for her court hearing and still has an outstanding warrant for her arrest.
The third time Weaver’s car was broken into was earlier this year.
“I now have a new car that locks,” Weaver said, “but it was obvious someone had been rummaging around in my car. The window looked like it had been wiggled down and the driver’s side door seemed tampered with. One of my neighbors found my driver’s side door wide open when they left for a shift at the hospital. The glove box was open, all the change in the center console had been taken, and all items from the glove box were sitting in my passenger seat.”
While she had no items of value in her vehicle — having learned from the two previous theft incidents — it still affected Weaver.
“Every time my car has been tampered with, I’ve felt so violated,” Weaver said. “There’s a moment when you find your car open, the contents in disarray, and your important possessions stolen where your heart just sinks.”
Weaver said she was left feeling anxious and scared that a break-in would happen again.
Property crimes across Springfield
According to the Springfield Police Department, “Most burglars won’t take more than about 2 minutes attempting a random residential burglary.”
The Springfield Police Department reports that across the United States, “The Automotive Information Council reports more than one million motor vehicles are stolen in the U.S. every year. That is about one motor vehicle theft every 31 seconds.”
These crimes are considered property crimes, one of the most common crimes committed in the United States. According to the Springfield Police Annual Crime Report, there were 11,984 crimes against property from January-December of 2022.
Out of the 11,984 property crimes that were committed in 365 days, only 1,812 of these crimes were cleared. That was only 15-percent clearance, or case closure by police, of all the property crimes that were committed.
Lt. Jason Laub of the SPD’s Property Crimes Section describes theft as “a crime of opportunity.”
What Laub means is that the crime was set up in the criminals’ favor. The main three property crimes in Springfield include larceny, motor vehicle theft, and burglary.
Grab and go
Larceny is the leading property crime in Springfield. Larceny is similar to theft, however, larceny focuses on the theft of physical items while the term theft is used as a variation on different types of theft.
According to the Crime Report, theft from a vehicle is the most common form of larceny in Springfield. In 2022, there were 2,050 reports filed and only 57 of these cases were cleared.
Laub explained that with the sheer volume of property crimes and the SPD’s short staffing, it is difficult to get to each of these cases.
“We just try to keep up with the volume of cases and so,” Laub said, “therefore some of the cases that lack the solvability factor just don’t get assigned.”
Out of Weaver’s three incidents, only one of the criminals was found.
No keys, no problem, no car
According to the Springfield Police, there is at least 1 motor vehicle theft every 31 seconds in America.
No matter the year, make, or model of a vehicle; there is a chance of it being stolen.
“It is kind of random,” Laub said. “It helps keeping vehicles locked and the keys not in the vehicle even if you are away from your vehicle for a short period of time.”
According to the SPD, “20 percent of all vehicles stolen have the keys left in them.”
“We usually pick up a case on the back end of it,” Laub said. “When the car is stolen, typically there are no witnesses or evidence left behind. If it is taken from a driveway, it is hard to follow up on those types of cases.”
Where is everything?
The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program defines burglary as, “the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft.”
It is a common misconception from movies that burglaries only happen at night. If you look at data from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, for the past four years, this crime is more likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 5:59 p.m.
In the Springfield metro area, the late afternoon is a time of day when people are often not home.
“Again a crime of opportunity,” Laub said, “looking for weaknesses in home security.”
Protection of your property is in your hands
“Look at your residence as though you were the one who wanted to burglarize it,” Laub said. “Look through the eyes of the criminal.”
Springfield police recommend keeping your homes locked, this includes windows, and making sure all your valuables are put away. This is similar to the advice police give when it comes to vehicle theft and the items inside the vehicle.
The best rule to remember is if you don’t want an item stolen from a car, don’t leave it in plain sight. Remove the item, or secure it in the trunk.
One of the most important things is to take away the opportunity by making it difficult for a would-be thief to break into a building or a vehicle.
Not all people are a ‘criminal’
While theft is a crime that is punishable by law, Weaver wants people to know that “not all people who commit crimes are evil.”
“At the end of the day,” Weaver said, “desperate circumstances drive us to desperate responses. If we, individually and communally, did a better job at caring for one another — we’d see a drop in this type of crime. People wouldn’t feel so desperate, because their basic needs were being met. Additionally, connection and support wouldn’t solve all crime. However, it would be a step towards ending a cycle of suffering and transforming it into a cycle of connection.”
