VIDEO: Multiple Churches Broken Into in Monroe County

MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Early Sunday morning, several churches in Southeastern Monroe County were broken into.

Several of the buildings had cash stolen from them, and law enforcement is encouraging churches to take proper preventative measures.

The one thing these six churches have in common is they are all in rural, secluded areas.

Almost all of them didn’t have security systems either, making Sunday morning’s thefts easier for burglars.

“That’s what they’re hitting is churches out in the country, out in the secluded areas of the county,” said Monroe County Sheriff, Cecil Cantrell.

The signs of entry were similar.

“They actually broke out a window in a couple of vacant churches, and the rest of the churches it looks like they used some kind of crowbar or something and went in,” explained Cantrell.

Many of the churches had only cash money stolen from their building.

The only church broken into without anything stolen from it was Bethel Baptist Church.

The difference-maker is the had an alarm system.

“The burglar alarm went off, and they didn’t take anything out of there,” said Cantrell.

That same security system has given Monroe County Sheriff’s Department some rough leads on the burglars.

“We do have some pictures. I don’t know if we’ll be able to see what we want to see, but we’re going to be looking at those,” said Cantrell.

Cantrell encourages taking the proper precautions to keep future burglaries from happening.

“If they would, all the churches in our county to please write down the serial numbers, take pictures of all of your items that you think somebody might steal. If you could, get a security system. Get a security system and a burglar alarm because it will help,” said Cantrell.

Law enforcement is still totaling all that was stolen

The pictures taken at Bethel Baptist Church will be looked at to confirm on possible leads.

If you have any information on the burglaries, you’re asked to call Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.