The burglary of a Ledge Road home on Aug. 1 was the third in a string of residential break-ins reported in the span of a single week, according to local authorities.

Police said one or more suspects entered the Ledge Road residence sometime between 8:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. and removed a safe from a wall containing a large amount of money and sentimental family photographs. According to authorities, the homeowner was not home at the time, and another member of the family discovered the crime after returning to the residence.

Though police recovered evidence left by the suspects at the crime scene, Sgt. Michael Pickles said the department does not have any solid leads at this time.

According to Pickles, officers investigating the burglary have no reason to connect the latest break-in with the burglary of two other local homes late last week.

On Friday, July 31, a Burns Road homeowner reported that he had arrived home to find the front door of his home kicked in. Two wooden boxes containing an undisclosed amount of jewelry had been stolen from the master bedroom of the residence, according to police. Officers arriving at the scene found no one inside the home, but determined the door had been forced open.

The night before authorities received a report at about 9 p.m. that the front door to a Nashua Road residence had been forced open. According to police, prescription medications had been stolen from the home sometime after 5 p.m.

While the three burglaries may be unrelated, Pickles believes that the economy could be playing a role in the rash of break-ins and other incidents, including the theft of $200 from a farm stand at about 3:16 p.m. on Saturday, reported in the past few weeks.

With many struggling to make ends meet through the recession, people may be taking more drastic measures, Pickles said.

“The only thing that is across the board is that the economy is playing a role in these things,” he said. “People are hard up for cash because of the economy.”

For the time being, authorities are urging residents to report any suspicious people or vehicles in their neighborhoods.

Police are advising anyone who believes their home may have been burglarized to stay out of the residence and contact the department immediately at 635-2411. Individuals with information regarding the burglaries or any other suspicious activities are also asked to contact the police department and speak with either Lt. Brian McCarthy or Sgt. Anne T. Perriello.