By MIKE CAPUTO
"We feel unsafe and violated in our own town," said one Woodmere resident, who was a recent victim of a burglary.
According to crime reports, there has been a total of 10 residential burglaries across the Five Towns and Atlantic Beach since June 1.
In June, there were a total of 21 burglaries reported over a span of 17 months, mostly on the east end of the Five Towns.
That spree spurred a public meeting on June 10 between police and village officials from Hewlett Harbor, Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Neck and Woodsburgh.
At the meeting, they lobbied for increased street patrols, greater coordination of the precinct's internal resources, better communication between the police and villages, and the use of new technology.
Since the beginning of May, that particular burglary spree in those villages "stopped," said Paul Clark, inspector for the 4th Precinct. The inspector acknowledged that similar burglaries have been reported in Woodmere and other areas of the Five Towns.
"There are certain burglaries that look like it is the same guy, and there are other burglaries where it is clearly not," Clark said.
Mark Weiss, mayor of Hewlett Harbor, said his village quickly addressed the issue when the spree began in 2007 and established a private security patrol. The security guards are on patrol seven days a week, and have a vehicle that is equipped with flashing lights, running lights and sidelights to look between homes in a community that is very dark at night, the mayor said.
"We wanted to make sure the security guards truly act as another pair of eyes for Nassau County police," Weiss said.
There has not been a reported burglary in Hewlett Harbor since December and the mayor said he believes the security patrol combined with added vigilance by village residents has helped ward off incidents.
"You develop a sense of what is normal," Weiss said. "When you walk out of your house, when you walk down the street, if you are jogging or walking your dog, it is customary [to know] what is traditional, what is normal and we believe that residents have a sixth sense on what is out of the ordinary. Police are relying on that so they get a call and respond quickly."
Both Weiss and Clark said it's crucial that residents immediately call 911 if they see what they believe is suspicious activity in their neighborhoods.
For villages and unincorporated areas without private security patrols, the volunteers of the Five Towns Auxiliary Police unit also keep an extra eye out for suspicious activity.
"We are the eyes and ears of the community," said Lt. Danny Gluck of the Five Towns auxiliary squad.
Gluck said the Five Towns unit has had a recent increase in membership and is among the largest in Nassau County.
"Because of increased manpower, we are able to cover more of the Five Towns," he said.
The lieutenant said his officers quickly report suspicious activity to 4th precinct officers, like if a van or truck is sitting on the side of a residential road late at night. "Anything out of the ordinary," Gluck said.
Clark explained that burglary statistics for this summer have actually been consistent in comparison to past years, but is still not acceptable.
"The numbers are consistent with prior years, but it is still too high for my satisfaction and we are addressing it full steam ahead," Clark said.
The inspector said that the precinct recently implemented a "directed patrols" program that places officers in problematic areas, especially those that are burglary prone.
Although burglary arrests have been made, Clark noted that these kind of crimes will "never go away," and that residents should always be cautious.
"We try to make clear if anyone sees anything they should call 911, they are not bothering us," Clark said. "We really rely on the community to watch out for each other."
Comments about this story? Mcaputo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 201.
Burglary protection tips
- If you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood, Immediately report it to 911.
- Keep all doors and windows closed and securely fastened. Doors should have dead bolt locks and insert a metal bar in the track of the window to prevent opening.
- The majority of home burglaries occur between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., so always lock
all doors and windows when you leave the house.
- When you are away from the house, create an illusion that you are home by having timers for lights, televisions, and radio systems.
- Never leave hints that you are away on vacation. Don't let mail, newspapers or fly
ers accumulate when you are not home.
- Have a neighbor collect your mail or suspend any of your newspaper subscriptions.
- When vacationing, leave a car in the driveway or arrange for a neighbor to park their car in your driveway and continually move it to make it look like someone is home.
- Never leave a message on your machine indicating you are not home. Simply say you cannot come to the phone right now.
- Chart compiled by Evan Nemeroff
Burglaries have swept through the Five Towns. The numbers in the map (pictured), which highlight incidents since June 1, correspond with the key below.
1. University Street, North Woodmere.
2. Broadway, Woodmere.
3. Hawthorne Lane, Lawrence.
4. Park Lane, North Lawrence.
5. Trysting Place, Cedarhurst.
6. Grand Central Place, Inwood.
7. Bermuda Street, Atlantic Beach.
8. White Drive, Cedarhurst.
9. Fordham Lane, Woodmere.
10. Margaret Avenue, Lawrence.
