Cody Bowen, Jacob Webb, Tyler Burnside and Rodney Shelton Fulgham, all of Cleveland, and Jason Hamilton of Pace were arrested Wednesday and are currently being held at the Bolivar County Regional Correctional Facility awaiting their initial court appearance.
“We received a call about a burglary on Sandpit Road just off Highway 61 East Wednesday around 8:35 p.m.,” said Bolivar County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Jeff Joel. “The homeowner gave the names of all the suspects and gave a description of the vehicle.
“The suspects had taken a shotgun and a (hunting) bow,” said Joel. “We located the vehicle pulling in the driveway of Bowen’s home on Bishop Road.
“We recovered the shotgun and the bow,” he said.
Joel said there has not been an alarming increase in burglaries in the county. However, he said that burglaries have been steady.
“We have not had an increase in burglaries — there hasn’t been an influx but burglaries have been steady,” he said. “This isn’t the hot season for burglaries.”
Joel encourages residents to call the Bolivar County Sheriff Department if they notice any suspicious behavior.
“We are only as good as our citizens,” he said.
According to the Home Security Web site, one good way for neighborhoods to combat crime is through a neighborhood watch. A neighborhood watch is a group of people working together to protect the neighborhood.
They agree to keep an eye out for suspicious people, reporting loiterers or those engaged in suspicious activities.
“Neighborhood watches can also become involved in organizing community events related to crime and safety,” according to the Web site. “This could be any variety of activities, such as having a group meeting where you invite a police officer from the community to come in and talk about home security.
“Through the membership of a neighborhood watch program, you'll be able to keep abreast with what's going on in your area, including learning about crimes that occur near you. A neighborhood watch program will reward your participation by making your neighborhood safer.
“It is statistically proven that neighborhood watches are effective crime prevention tools.”