On Thursday afternoon, November 15th, Madison Police South District Captain James Wheeler authorized a reverse 911 call be made to residents of the Vilas Neighborhood. People living along Adams, Madison, Jefferson, Van Buren, & Lincoln streets were to receive notification, as were citizens who live on Vilas Avenue.

This is the message sent by Captain Wheeler; " You are receiving this notification by way of reverse 911 notification system from Captain Jim Wheeler of the city of Madison police department south district. The purpose of this notification is to inform you of an increase in burglaries in the Vilas Neighborhood Area. The majority of these burglaries have occurred between the hours of 10 pm and 5 am. Although there were a couple of exceptions, the primary points of entry have been through unlocked doors, windows, and garages. In response to these burglaries we will be increasing our patrols utilizing South District Safety Initiative Funds.

Please keep in mind, that it is very important for you to keep your doors, windows, and garages secure. Also, it is important to be vigilant in observing reporting suspicious behavior to the police as soon as possible. Call 9-1-1 if are witnessing something suspicious, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions at 266-5938."

Captain Wheeler says residents witnessing suspicious behavior should call 9-1-1.