Suspects in several burglaries deserve a jeer for allegedly carrying out the crimes for which they have been charged. But more so, they deserve a cheer for their narrow thinking - some people might call it their stupidity - in leaving an easy trail for police to follow.

Smart criminals don't leave clear footprints for police to track them - especially when no other footprints are in the snow. Smart criminals don't think police lack the intelligence to recognize such an easy trail and follow it. Smart criminals don't return to their crime scene when police are conducting their investigation.

All three of those things happened in criminal incidents reported in the Butler Eagle over the past week.

Butler Township police reported that they followed the footprints of Donald William Myers, 18, of 117 S. Breezewood Drive early Tuesday before apprehending him in a wooded area between Willow Wood Drive and Oakland Avenue in the township. Someone had alerted police about a suspicious person tugging on car doors and lurking around homes in the Heartland Estates housing plan off South Eberhart Road.

While police followed footprints in the freshly fallen snow, they found that several vehicles and at least one garage had been broken into.

Myers was charged with burglary, theft, criminal trespass, attempted theft, loitering and prowling at night.

Then there was the incident involving Justin Schweinsberg, 20, who is charged with a breakin early Thursday at the Marathon station at 408 S. Main St. in Butler. Officers who were dispatched to the station at about 4 a.m. in regard to a broken window found footprints in the snow that they began following with the help of an Evans City police officer and his K-9 dog.

But Schweinsberg, who was charged with burglary, theft, criminal trespass and receiving stolen property, made the job of the police easier when he returned to the scene wearing shoes with sole patterns that matched those that officers were tracking.

Schweinsberg attempted to flee, but was apprehended following a brief foot chase.

The suspect apparently had been home during the time after the breakin occurred but, if he indeed was the burglar, he didn't take the time to change shoes before heading back to the crime scene.

About the only way that these suspects could have made the job of police easier is if they had jotted their names, addresses and telephone numbers on a piece of paper and left them behind for police to find.