Police: More heroin use means more burglaries

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An increase in heroin use is contributing to an uptick in burglaries throughout the 7th Precinct, police said at a recent community forum in Seaford.
Opiate addiction, in particular heroin but also OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin, is a growing problem countywide, said the precinct’s commanding officer, Joseph Barbieri.
“Heroin is a problem,” he said. “We see some correlation between breaks-ins and some type of substance abuse.”
As of April 8, there had been 116 arrests in connection with 29 drug-related burglaries this year in the 7th Precinct, according to Nassau County Police Inspector Kenneth Lack.
“In Seaford, we’ve had two non-fatal incidents of drug overdose,” Lack said. “Last year there were a total of six non-fatal events.” And while things have slowed down substantially since a burglar was arrested in Seaford on March 16, Lack said that residents “need to be concerned about grand larcenies from autos.
“People leave laptops, iPhones and cash in their car,” he said. “They don’t lock their cars, so it’s easy to take your valuables. People who have addictions use larcenies and burglaries to feed those addictions.”
Barbieri also cautioned residents to lock doors and windows in their homes. “We’ve seen some burglaries on Seaman, Clark and Parkside [in Seaford] as well as north of Southern State Parkway,” he said. “People with opiate-driven drug problems need to feed their addiction. The desire is so great.”

Suburban addicts

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