Mount Rainier has seen a dramatic bump in residential burglaries over the last month, according to a report in The Gazette. 

Data posted to the Mount Rainier Police Department's blog shows 14 burglaries and one attempted burglary since Oct. 16. 

According to The Gazette, Mount Rainier police have received extra patrol help from the Prince George's County Police Department, boosting the number of officers on patrol in the town. 

Burglaries were on a 40 percent decline in the Mount Rainier over the first nine months of the year, according to The Gazette. During that time, Mount Rainier saw 29 burglaries, down from 43. But the string of burglaries since October has seen the number of burglaries in 2012 increase to 43, only three less than the 46 burglaries reported in all of 2011 in Mount Rainier. 

Earlier this week, Mount Rainier police caught two burglars in the act. 

Around 1 p.m., on Tuesday, Nov. 6, town police investigating a report of suspicious activity in the 3100 block of Webster Street encountered two men trying to break into a house on the 4100 block of Webster Street. They were also carrying a Ruger P45 pistol and items stolen during a burglary in Brentwood earlier that day.

The two were arrested, charged with burglary and possession of a stolen handgun, and handed over to Prince George's County Police detectives for further investigation. Police are trying to figure out if the two might be connected to other burglaries in the area.

Mount Rainier's spike in burglaries may not come as a surprise to Hyattsville residents in Wards 4 and 5, who have been dealing with a roughly 33 percent increase in the number of burglaries over the first nine months of the year, despite a decrease in the overall citywide burglary rates. During a community meeting last month, Hyattsville police Public Information Officer Sgt. Chris Purvis said that surrounding jurisdictions were also seeing spikes in burglaries. 

According to The Gazette, Mount Rainier police are investigating if any of their burglaries might be connected to similar crimes in Hyattsville and Chillum. 

Hyattsville police made a high-profile burglary bust last week, arresting four suspects within hours of a burglary on Oliver Street as they tried to sell stolen televisions at a barber shop on Hamilton Street.