CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — The group behind a spree of armed burglaries in Cherry Hills Village is believed to be connected to crimes throughout the Front Range, according to Cherry Hills Village Police Chief Jason Lyons.

Lyons addressed a large group of residents at a community town hall Thursday evening, addressing concerns and sharing crime prevention tips following the armed burglaries.

Lyons said multiple law enforcement agencies in the Denver metro area are working on the investigation into these crimes. It is believed that as many as 20 different individuals are collaborating to commit the acts.

“That group has targeted areas from Longmont to Castle Rock, my own neighborhood included two nights ago,” Lyons said during the community meeting. “They are prolific. They are affecting a lot of communities, [and] unfortunately Cherry Hills was one of them.”

Multiple Cherry Hills Village residents spoke out at the meeting, asking questions over police response to the crimes and sharing their fears. Several said their homes had been targeted during the spree.

Lyons said it is uncommon for people committing property crimes to arm themselves, which is what makes this particular spree disturbing.

However, the chief said that Cherry Hills Village is still a safe community, and that violent crime rates remain low. He said his “sense,” based on the ongoing investigation into the burglaries, is that the case will be “resolved.”

Cherry Hills Village police urge residents to remove keys and valuables from vehicles, lock the doors of their vehicles and homes, turn on exterior lights and report suspicious activity to authorities.