By SARI ZEIDLER
Abramowitz's Bayberry Avenue home is outfitted with a surveillance camera and alarm system, which scared the intruder away, but not before the camera caught him on tape. The incident is one in a series of crimes in Merrick, ranging from broken car windows to burglaries and robberies, notably attacks by "the Ring Bandit." The recent crime spree prompted a Jan. 20 meeting of local civic groups that was attended by more than 100 Merokeans interested in starting a Neighborhood Watch program.
The North Merrick Community Civic Association and South Merrick Community Civic Association organized the meeting, which was led by officers of the Problem Oriented Police unit and the 1st and 7th precincts. County Legislators Dave Denenberg, a Democrat from Merrick, and Norma Gonsalves, a Republican from East Meadow, attended.
"This is a low crime area. Nassau County has the lowest crime rate of any area with a population over 250,000, and we have over a million," said Denenberg. "But that means nothing if you're a crime victim."
Prevention, self-empowerment and safety were the evening's central themes. "This is not a patrol, this is not vigilantism; we just want to keep Merrick the safe place it is," said Joe Baker, SMCCA president.
According to Community Affairs Officer Tom Gilberti, organizing a Neighborhood Watch is the perfect course of action for residents to take. "The object of a Neighborhood Watch is to keep crime down," he said, citing a recent survey of prison inmates that reported more than 80 percent of burglars will go out of their way to avoid a Neighborhood Watch area.
Participants do not have the power to arrest beyond that of the average citizen and are not required to put themselves in dangerous situations. Rather, a Neighborhood Watch is a group of neighbors organized in a hierarchical order acting as the eyes and ears of police.
In a Neighborhood Watch area, individuals are responsible for observing a designated area, either from the window of their home or during daily activities. If suspicious activity is noticed, police are called. Community members are never required to confront anyone directly.
"If you see something, call us, and we'll come down and talk to the person so you don't have to," said John Berry, deputy commander of the 1st Precinct.
Police said to dial 911 instead of the local precinct. 911 has an automatic system that will send officers who are closest to the area of the call. Calls to the precinct should be reserved for community questions.
Officers insisted that residents should not feel shy and should not hesitate to call 911, even if a suspicion is minor. The sooner police are notified, the easier it is to gather evidence of a crime or document suspicious activity before a crime takes place.
"You should never be embarrassed to call 911. It's OK to be wrong," said Gilberti, who insisted that calls to police are helpful and not a nuisance, as some people might fear.
If more than 50 percent of residents on a block are active participants in a Neighborhood Watch, the Town of Hempstead will post signs that are often helpful in deterring criminal activity.
Recent crimes that spooked Merrick residents included two robberies by a criminal nicknamed "the Ring Bandit," because he forcibly removed rings from his victims' fingers. On Nov. 5, a 59-year-old woman was attacked by the bandit outside of her Chapin Avenue home near the Meadowbrook Parkway in North Merrick. On Oct. 2, a woman was attacked in her house on Michael William Road.
No arrests have been made in either case, but Berry said detectives are still investigating, and no further incidents have been reported since.
Residents and police also noted bicycle thefts, broken car windows, stolen car tires and rims, and the thefts of three Hondas as recent crimes occurring around Merrick.
"We should not have to worry if we can get to and from our homes safely," said Gonsalves, a strong believer in the power of Neighborhood Watch programs. "When our guard is down, that's when things do happen."
A follow-up meeting is scheduled for Feb. 11 at 7 p.m.
Comments about this story? Szeidler@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
