Spate of burglaries continues in Salisbury, East Meadow

Though an arrest was made last week, burglars continue to break into local homes, mostly in Salisbury and northern portions of East Meadow. 

Between Nov. 4 and 23, nine residential burglaries were reported in Salisbury and East Meadow in the Nassau County Police Department’s 3rd Precinct, which includes the area north of Hempstead Turnpike. In the 1st Precinct, south of Hempstead Turnpike, two burglaries were reported between Nov. 21 and 24.

“We’re getting hammered,” said Helen Meittinis, president of the Community Association of Stewart Avenue in Salisbury. 

A teen was arrested on Nov. 19 after a homeowner on Cottonwood Lane caught him leaving the driveway at about 12:35 p.m. Police said the boy intended to remove property from the home. The suspect was not identified because he is being charged as a minor, but officials said he attends W.T. Clarke High School. 

Meittinis, who also leads Salisbury’s Neighborhood Watch program and is in constant contact with local police officials, noted that it appears that the crimes are more than a solo act. “The cops are working really hard,” she said. “But there are a lot of [criminals] — it’s not just one burglar, not just one person.”

County Legislator Norma Gonsalves (R-East Meadow), who serves on the county’s Public Safety Committee and founded East Meadow’s Crime Watch program, met with police on Tuesday to discuss the crimes. Gonsalves said that while lines of communication are open between civic leaders and police, it is important for residents to be aware and vigilant. 

“They have to be aware of their surroundings,” Gonsalves said. “People have to be the eyes and ears. We are supposed to be another blanket against crime.”

Recent burglaries have taken place at various times, but mostly in the afternoon and early evening. Gonsalves explained that many of the criminals canvass the neighborhoods to see which houses are unoccupied at certain times of the day.