BERRIEN COUNTY — Break-ins and violent acts have been consistent occurrences this summer in Berrien County, but area law enforcement say a few actions taken by residents can make a big impact on curbing them.

Michigan State Police Niles Post Commander Mike Dawson knows break-ins on a personal level. Not only does he investigate them, he was a victim of a break-in himself.

This summer, he left his work car unlocked at his home on the night someone decided to enter his neighborhood and try breaking into vehicles.

His vehicle was broken into, but nothing was stolen. Dawson said the situation reminded him that a few simple actions could have that would have stopped crime from occurring.

Lock vehicles and keep valuables such as purses, wallets and guns out of them, he said.

Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey and Niles Police Chief Jim Millin said the same.

“Don’t give somebody the opportunity for someone to break into your vehicle,” Bailey said.

During May and June, more than a dozen homes were broken into in southern Berrien County. From May onward, car break-ins have been occurring across the county. Most home break-ins happened during the day; most car break-ins happened during the night.

Almost all could have been prevented by locking doors and removing valuables, all three said.

“It’s an easy target,” Bailey said. “So many people are leaving their cars unlocked.”

Being proactive against violent acts is more difficult, but there are still actions that can be taken by residents, they said.

So far, violence has resulted in seven people shot in seven days in the Benton Harbor area and multiple gunshot injuries in the Niles area.

Millin said being a conscious neighbor and not hesitating to call law enforcement can help stop violent acts before each play out fully.

“Our citizens live in their neighborhoods,” he said. “They know their neighborhoods. They know what’s right and what’s wrong in their neighborhood. They probably know their neighborhoods better than the police do.”

Likewise, Millin said, if someone is in an area where violence is frequent, good neighbors need to speak up together and to trust law enforcement to handle the job.

“The police are here to do their job and keep the community safe, so people should call when they need to,” he said. “I tell people all the time, ‘Put me out of work.’”

Bailey had similar sentiments. He said people are sometimes afraid of being a burden on officers, so they will not dial 9-1-1 to report suspicious activity or fights.

“Do not hesitate to call dispatch,” he said. “You’re not bothering us.”

The same goes for vehicle-related suspicious activity, too. Calling on someone who is going door to door late at night could prevent a car break-in, he said.

Behind the trend

Whether these summer criminal acts are upticks or regular occurrences varies official to official.

Bailey said there has been a slight uptick this summer. Millin said upticks in criminal acts occur every summer. Dawson said the incidents occur in small waves.

All three, however, shared the same three points: break-ins and violence are occurring across the greater region, a small number of perpetrators are causing the incidents in Berrien County, and the cause of many individual incidents are rooted in drugs like heroin and methamphetamine.

All three said that break-ins and violence have been occurring this year in southwest Michigan, in St. Joseph County, Indiana and in Chicago and its suburbs.

In Berrien County’s case, while break-ins are impersonal, violent acts usually occur between acquaintances.

“Most of these are not just random acts,” Millin said. “They’re problems between individuals that are just getting deeper and deeper and becoming more of a problem. It’s one-upping each other.”

Millin said that most of Niles’ violent crimes are caused by, at most, three individuals that his department is aware of. It is a matter of catching them, sending them to prison and not allowing them parole, he said.

Whether vehicle break-in or violent act, all three officials said drugs were a cause of many of the offenses. People tended to break into cars to steal items that could either be sold or traded for heroin and methamphetamine, and people tended to fight over drug disputes.

The Niles post of Michigan State Police does not have any drug prevention programs in place right now, Dawson said.

Bailey said his department has partnered with the Berrien County Health Department and Spectrum Health to support Carol’s Hope, a free St. Joseph community facility for adults struggling with substance use disorders that is open 24 hours, seven days a week.

“We’re trying to educate people to ask for help, go to Carol’s [Hope], and they will help you find a rehab you can afford,” he said. “Or, they can give you assistance.”