Houston area officers warn community about 'knock-knock burglars'

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Police officers want the Houston community to be aware of so-called "knock-knock burglars."

The term refers to a style of crime in which a burglar knocks on a homeowner's door to see if anyone is home. If the burglar receives no answer, then the burglars break in.

"They're very, very aggressive in trying to see if someone is home," Memorial Villages Police Department Assistant Chief Ray Schultz said, "We've had several different crews come in. We had one, specifically, asking for the same person. They all wanted to see if a Mr. Fargo lived there."

Residents called in, and the suspects were later arrested for theft. In Memorial Villages, they started a policy prohibiting soliciting without a permit to make it more difficult for knock-knock burglars to pose as salesmen.

"Very often we can't prove what they're doing, but the fact that we go out there, identify them, know who they are, know what type of vehicle they're driving, they'll leave the area," Schultz said.

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