Police Blotter

December 11, 2023 10:59 AM

Season’s Greetings from the Madison Police Department – Central District. We want you to have a fun, safe holiday season. . . to include festive moods after the holidays and not frustration that your place has been burglarized. Each year, after vacations some people return to their homes … [read more]

November 21, 2022 2:43 PM

The snow is flying and the holiday season is upon us. That usually means cars are warming and more packages are mailing. Typically an increase in stolen running cars with the keys left inside and stolen packages left outside is not far behind. Here are a few reminders to be safe this … [read more]

June 11, 2021 3:30 PM

Be advised of recent property crime in the West District ovenight in the area of Old Sauk Rd and Bear Claw Way. It appears that suspect(s) entered unlocked cars on the road or in the driveway and were able to gain access into the garage. Officers will provide additional directed patrols … [read more]

June 3, 2021 9:44 AM

Please see the attached PDF and video containing information about Midtown's Summer Strategic Plan MidtownSummerStrategicPlan [read more]

November 18, 2020 9:44 AM

It's that time of year for giving... and taking. With so many people shopping online because of the pandemic, we are expected to have a record-breaking year for home deliveries and Porch Pirates this holiday season. These adventurous thieves feast on crimes of opportunity and convenience, … [read more]

January 22, 2020 11:16 PM

I have read several reports over the past few days of reported car shopping where individuals are walking down streets in neighborhoods, trying every car door. Please don't become a theft victim, lock your cars, homes and garages! [read more]

December 19, 2019 7:46 AM

With the holiday season almost upon us, a few reminders from our Crime Analysts if you are leaving town on home safety. Keep lights on inside your home, consider using a timer Make sure motion lights outside your home are operational (check your bulbs) Notifify your neighbors you will … [read more]

December 4, 2019 7:38 AM

I know it may be nice to get into a warm car in the morning but we have seen a significant uptick all over the city of stolen cars that were "Warming up". With today's modern technology, a number of studies have shown that warming your car is not helpful to your engine. It is now just a … [read more]

October 3, 2019 4:25 PM

There is an active group of persons in a convoy of vehicles going throughout communities in and around Madison, breaking into cars as well as homes. The MO is to check the car in the driveway and upon finding it unlocked, use the garage door opener to make entry into your home. This group is … [read more]

July 11, 2019 3:00 PM

Want to learn how to make your home and personal property less tempting to thieves? Then join us for the next Good Neighbor Night! Learn more about the most common types of property crimes that occur in Madison Discover tips and low-cost ways you can deter thieves when you're asleep … [read more]

June 5, 2019 11:10 AM

On behalf of the Madison Police Department Burglary Crime Unit, Happy Summer! We hope it is a safe one for you and yours. To assist in that endeavor, we have some tips to keep you, your residences and properties safe. As the supervisor of the BCU, I review the vast majority of case reports … [read more]

May 16, 2019 10:15 AM

There have been 150 stolen vehicles so far in 2019, a 14% increase over same time period last year. In April of this year, the City had 34 stolen autos reported, representing a 36% increase over April of 2018. Of the 34 stolen autos reported in April, 28 had keys left in them. Two stolen … [read more]

March 15, 2019 3:17 PM

In the coming weeks, students from the Madison Metropolitan School District and UW-Madison will be among those on Spring Break, heading to beaches and other (hopefully warmer) vacation destinations. Empty homes, apartments, and condos can be targets for opportunistic criminals, and with that … [read more]

February 11, 2019 11:26 AM

Are you interested in neighborhood safety? Then please join us for Good Neighbor Night to learn how you can start or join a Good Neighbor Project! Get all the details about this MPD community safety program Learn from community members who will share creative ideas to help you get to … [read more]

December 20, 2018 4:45 PM

Even the police have Christmas wishes. Santa paid a visit to the West District today. The MPD wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season. [read more]

November 19, 2018 10:50 AM

It's that time of year again when we come home to front porches full of boxes from online retailers where we find all of the best deals from the convenience of ordering from our phones. This joyous occasion is also the favorite time of year for #PorchPirates. These adventurous thieves feast … [read more]

November 5, 2018 1:17 PM

In the month of October, the West District has experienced 52 burglary reports. Of those, 69% involved suspects gaining entry into the residence by the overhead garage door or the side door to the garage. 42% occurred while the homeowner was present. 38% involved suspects targeting … [read more]

October 30, 2018 12:46 PM

Halloween is an exciting time of year for kids, and to help them have a safe holiday, here are some safety tips: ALL DRESSED UP: Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact … [read more]

October 11, 2018 10:54 AM

This week, I have received over half a dozen emails and phone calls from citizens who are upset and frustrated by the auto thefts, burgaries and theft from autos going on. I have heard, "I don't feel safe, my kids aren't safe, what is MPD doing about it?" I just want you all to know, we share … [read more]

September 12, 2018 6:35 AM

In follow up to the blog on vehicle report cards, I decided to see for myself how many cars out there, were ripe for a theft from auto. I was out at 3am this morning filling out the vehicle report cards that were discussed in my recent West blog. I found that the majority of the vehicles … [read more]

September 5, 2018 9:37 AM

You may wake up some morning and find this piece of paper on your car windshield. It is just another tool our officers are using to help citizens become aware of things they can do to help reduce the chances of becoming a victim. Primarily our night officers have been checking cars in … [read more]

September 5, 2018 9:02 AM

I am reading another case on the west side where someone left an unlocked vehicle in their driveway and in the middle of the night, someone entered the vehicle and opened the garage door with the opener from the unlocked vehicle. They then went inside the home and stole things while the … [read more]

July 5, 2018 11:55 AM

Stolen autos are one of biggest problems right now. We have had 201 stolen autos already this year. Last year at this time we had 169 so we are up 18.9% over last year which was a record year. We had 42 autos stolen in June alone. These vehicles are being used by criminals to committ other … [read more]

April 9, 2018 2:14 PM

With the return of winter weather, so followed the return of auto thieves. We had 3 vehicles stolen over the weekend just in the west district. Each of these vehicles were recovered. There was also a gun stolen out of a 4th vehicle. Just a reminder, please don't leave valuables in your … [read more]

March 20, 2018 1:53 PM

Recently, a citizen reported being contacted by someone who claimed they were with MG&E. They were told they had a several hundred dollar outstanding bill and that if it was not paid within 45 minutes, their power would be cut off. They were then told to go to Walgreens and buy a cash card … [read more]

February 23, 2018 2:35 PM

I am seeing a number of theft from auto cases in which windows were broken out of cars, and purses or bags that were left in plain view were stolen. Now, not only are these victims potentially the subject of other victimization by criminals using their credit cards or ID's, they also have … [read more]

February 1, 2018 11:22 AM

Our stolen auto statistics for January of 2018 are quite eye opening. We had 57 stolen autos in the city which is a 72% increase over Jan of 2017. Of those, 94% had the keys in the car and 71% were unlocked and running. As I am am writing this, another 3 cars were just stolen this morning … [read more]

January 30, 2018 7:29 AM

Yesterday there were 5 cars stolen around the City and Fitchburg, this morning another 2 more already, and it isn't even 7:30am yet. Please help us remind your friends and family to not leave your keys in your car! We can't be everywhere so please help us and report any suspicious activity you … [read more]

January 18, 2018 8:07 AM

Stolen autos remain a problem for us. From the Monday shift notes; One recovered stolen auto on the south side with an arrest One recovered stolen auto in Fitchburg that was stolen in Madison One recovered stolen auto in Mount Horeb that was stolen in Madison One auto … [read more]

January 5, 2018 9:25 AM

Many of you know we tried a social media campaign over the holidays to remind people to lock up their cars. It was on Twitter under #Nightlylockup and we had some billboards throughout the county as well. Off. Tyler Grigg coordinated much of it. As a result, we did experience an increase in … [read more]

November 21, 2017 10:08 AM

This year so far, we have had 362 cars stolen in the city. Many of these are stolen by juveniles and are later recovered, but usually the cars have been damaged or involved in accidents. Many of these kids then endager themselves and the public as they speed and drive recklessly in the stolen … [read more]

November 16, 2017 7:36 AM

We started a new social media campaign yesterday on trying to prevent theft from auto. The City of Madison has experienced over 1100 Thefts from Auto so far this year. There have been 26 guns stolen out of autos this year There were 41 guns stolen out of cars in 2016 Since 2016 there are … [read more]

November 15, 2017 7:27 PM

MPD is following in the footsteps of the Savannah-Chatham Police Department, among others nationwide, which just started a social media campaign called #NighlyLockup to remind people of the importance of LOCKING THEIR DOORS, specifically their car doors. The City of Madison has … [read more]