Suspicious activity in Cowley draws attention of law enforcement

The Big Horn County Sheriff’s Department is advising citizens throughout the county, especially in Cowley, to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity after receiving several reports from concerned Cowley residents about suspicious vehicles and individuals trolling neighborhoods. 

“This activity is being seen all over the county, both north and south, but we’ve seen an uptick recently in the Cowley area,” said Sheriff Ken Blackburn. “It’s not uncommon during tough economic times for normal people, who don’t usually turn to crime, to do so.”

According to sheriff’s department records, the reporting parties told authorities they observed several unfamiliar individuals exit the same vehicle before prowling around on personal property in a suspicious manner. The activities included peering into parked vehicles and campers and trespassing on private residential properties. When confronted by property owners, the suspects got back into the vehicle quickly and drove away. 

The sheriff’s department has already implemented extra patrol in the reported areas but is asking citizens to be extra observant and report any such activity in their neighborhood, including descriptions of the vehicles, license plate numbers, security footage showing suspicious activity or other information that might be useful to law enforcement officials in their investigation.

“We’re starting to get a lot of reports of people moving around like this later in the evening,” explained Blackburn. “So, we’re asking everyone to be extra vigilant and not to hesitate to call if they see people in places they shouldn’t be. Considering the current economic times, this is the kind of thing we see quite a bit. Not everyone is nefarious but there are some people who are.”

Blackburn said, in a small town like Cowley, where people know their neighbors, these individuals stood out and “looked like they were someplace they shouldn’t be.”

“We are asking for the community to help on this so we can get ahead of it,” said Blackburn. “So, if you see something, say something, because it will really help us get to the bottom of this.”

In the meantime, Blackburn encourages citizens to lock properties and not leave packages or other valuable items outside unattended.