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Five Towns total of 47 is 40% decrease from 2008
Despite incidents of burglary late last year that created apprehension in the Five Towns, thefts from homes in the area declined overall in 2009, according to police officials.
There were 47 burglaries in the Five Towns last year, a decrease of roughly 40 percent from 2008, when they numbered in the low 80s, said Inspector John R. Capece, commanding officer of the Nassau County Police Department’s 4th Precinct. Capece added that official statistics for burglaries and other crimes, including comparisons between 2009 and 2008, will be released soon.
“We’re going to try and do whatever we can to keep the burglary rate down,” Capece told a standing-room-only crowd at a Jan. 6 security meeting at Young Israel of Woodmere. "One burglary is too much, but I am kind of gratified that crime is down."
Burglaries were also down across the 4th Precinct, totaling 154 last year, compared with 197 in 2008. The precinct encompasses the Five Towns, Atlantic Beach, Lido Beach, Point Lookout, Oceanside, Island Park, East Rockaway and South Lynbrook. Capece attributed the decline in part to his police officers conducting "directed patrols" in certain neighborhoods based on burglary patterns, which has led to some arrests and has also helped keep potential burglars away from those areas.
The incidents late last year included what Capece described as "high-profile" crimes, in which intruders entered occupied homes. On Nov. 24, two armed men entered a residence on Church Avenue in Woodmere through an unlocked front door, confronted a woman and two children and took a laptop computer, jewelry, credit cards and an undisclosed amount of cash. Another burglary took place in Hewlett, where two men disguised as utility workers stole about $100,000 in jewelry and cash.
"This is what precipitated a little bit of concern in the community," said Capece.
Eight of the 47 burglaries in 2009 occurred when residents were at home. Capece said that a burglary team may be responsible for some of the late-year thefts in Lawrence, which are currently being investigated by 4th Squad detectives in conjunction with the New York Police Department in the neighboring 101st, 105th and 113th Precincts.
