Police say residential burglaries in Milford are on the rise, with 16 reported since late December.

City residents received an alert Thursday by text, email or recorded phone call, letting them know about the string of home burglaries and asking them to report anything suspicious.

Police say all these burglaries are unusual for a couple reasons. One is the time -- they've happened between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. The other is that the suspects don't seem to care about making noise.

Police say the suspects have been using a rock to break a back window and get inside. The incidents are happening in all sections of the city, and the suspects are taking items like jewelry, small electronics and cash. Police have increased their patrols in response.

Police say an older model, gray sedan was seen near one of the burglarized homes and a light-colored minivan was spotted at another.

Milford investigators are also working with Stratford police, who say they've seen 22 burglaries with the same M.O.