Great Bend Post

BARTON COUNTY -A rash of burglaries in Barton County has Sheriff Brian Bellendir asking for the public’s assistance in catching the criminals.

The thefts have been random in nature, taking place all over Barton County, according to the Sheriff.

“We have had some south of Great Bend in the past two or three days, some in the Claflin area last week and some in the northwest part of the county, said Bellendir.

“Most of the reports are from right around Great Bend but that’s not to say the incidents won’t spread out as they look for easier targets.”

With over 900 square miles to enforce with generally only 4 deputies available to patrol, Bellendir says he is relying on the public to help catch the bad guys.

The thieves have been targeting high dollar items that can be sold easily like guns, wire welders and expensive tools.

Bellendir encourages people to lock their doors to homes, machine sheds and equipment and if they can, take a photo of your expensive items along with the ID or serial number. He has that will make it much easier to identify your property when it is recovered.