The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office reported a recent spike in burglaries in rural Douglas County. Sgt. Steve Lewis, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, said 16 burglaries have been reported since Oct. 1 — with six of those in November.

While Lewis did not have a year-to-date total for burglaries in 2011, reported burglaries in the Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction — which includes the townships in the county and fairground property — have averaged about five a month since 2006, according to FBI statistics.

“It’s above average,” Lewis said of the recent spike.

Here’s a breakdown of the townships where burglaries have been reported:

• Palmyra: 5

• Lecompton: 4

• Willow Springs: 3

• Eudora: 2

• Marion: 1

One burglary was reported at the fairgrounds.

Lewis said the burglaries have mostly occurred during the day, when homes tend to be vacant. Lewis said he spoke to a detective on the case who said a clustered spike like this can be an indication of a team of people committing the crimes.

In addition to general home safety tips, Lewis advised anyone with information about the crimes to call the Sheriff’s Office at 841-0007, or the TIPS hot line at 843-TIPS.