SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla. — On Thursday, Sanibel Island Police Chief, William Dalton told Fox 4, burglaries increased by 610% growing from nine in 2021 to 64 in 2022.
“It is a large increase percentage-wise but when you take the overall number, some communities have that in a week,” said Chief Dalton.
Chief Dalton adds there was an increase of 91% in the overall number of federally reported crimes during 2021. He also stated that police believe the crime wave comes from the off-island contractors that were hired by homeowners after Ian.
“We think that they would do remediation work on one house and then they would burglarize the house next door on the way in and out,” said Chief Dalton.
One Saniebel homeowner said she had family pictures taken from her garage and had heard other items were taken from their neighbor's home.
“I had a few pictures that I saved — they were taken overnight. I know the neighbors had their shed broken into and someone took all of their pool furniture," said one homeowner.
After Ian, Sanibel Island required residents to provide hurricane passes to enter the island. Chief Dalton said this was intended to help keep crimes such as burglaries down, but now even that strategy is being revisited.
“They just copied the passes and fabricated them so we are now in the process of researching a way to make them more secure,” said Chief Dalton.
One homeowner said even the hurricane passes weren't safe over the past seven months. “I know somebody that got their pass, their hurricane pass was stolen out of their car in the driveway,” said one person.
It's a change for families like Liela's, who said she moved here eight years ago from New York. “That's why I raise my daughter here because it's so safe and I'm never really concerned about burglaries,” said Liela.
Chief Dalton says it's a crime trend that he says is starting to decrease now that he says, in part, people are moving back into their homes.
It's a statement that homeowners say they are hopeful will restore the sense of safety for their island community.
“ I'm still afraid, where before I never was we didn't even lock the door,” said one homeowner.
