The jump is part of a precinct-wide trend that encompasses nearby neighborhoods like Bellmore, Uniondale, Baldwin and Roosevelt, said Inspector Patrick O'Connor. "In the East Meadow, Merrick and Bellmore area, we had a burglary pattern that started to develop about three months ago," said O'Connor, speaking before a small crowd of concerned residents and civic leaders inside the East Meadow Fire Department headquarters.
Burglaries in the 1st Precinct, particularly residential ones, are up from last year, O'Connor said. There have already been 79 in 2004, as opposed to 57 in all of last year.
The Herald revealed in a March report that East Meadow has been impacted by the spike. There were 11 house burglaries scattered throughout local neighborhoods from Jan. 1 to Feb. 23, up from the one that occurred during the same period last year.
Meanwhile, four more residences, on Fifth Street, Cedar Lane First Avenue and Bellmore Road, were hit in March.
Though the spike has raised concerns among residents and community leaders, O'Connor said that other neighborhoods, including nearby Bellmore, have suffered far worse. "Most of our residential burglaries are daytime burglaries," he said. "The main way they're doing it is rear door and rear window breaks."
In response, police have stepped up patrols with marked, unmarked and super-unmarked cars in the hot areas. Super-unmarked cars are vehicles most people wouldn't expect police officers to drive, such as a Jeep, O'Connor said.
Increasing police presence is an effective crime deterrent, he added, noting that burglaries usually fall off once they saturate an area. But to be truly successful, the police need the help of local residents, O'Connor said. "The only way we're going to make a difference," he said, is if "you're our eyes and ears. Any information you can get to us, we can use."
If residents see anything suspicious, they should call 911, O'Connor said. "What I deem suspicious is anything you deem suspicious," he said, adding that people shouldn't hesitate to call. "If you see something that doesn't look right, call us, and we'll come down."
The inspector also urged residents to be good neighbors and look out for one another. Don't let newspapers or mail pile up if your neighbor is away, since burglars often look for this telltale sign of an unoccupied house, he said.
O'Connor also suggested joining a crime watch. East Meadow already has one, but it has been looking for more volunteers to fill its ranks.
Nassau County Legislator Norma Gonsalves, who founded the Council of East Meadow Community Organizations' crime watch, said the group received calls from five people interested in joining after they read the initial Herald article.
Gonsalves said that house burglaries in East Meadow appear to have tapered off, but she's concerned that they'll pick up as the weather continues to get warmer. "Now I'm concerned, because the warm weather is coming and more people are going to go away," Gonsalves said. "It seems to have quieted down. We'll keep our fingers crossed."
Anyone interested in joining the crime watch should call Gonsalves at (516) 481-0824.
Detective Lt. Robert Lukas, who heads the police's Crime Stoppers hotline, said residents should call if they have any information on previous burglaries or any other crimes. "We understand that we, the police, cannot be around all the time," Lukas said. "[Any information] you have we feel is important to us."
Lukas said the hotline, (800) 244-TIPS, is manned by Nassau County detectives 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The number has been very effective, he added, leading to some 250,000 arrests in major crimes since its introduction in 1995.
Tips can now also be e-mailed to the police at Crimestoppers@pdcn.org. All those who provide tips have the option of remaining anonymous. In many cases, rewards are given to those who provide information leading to an arrest, Lukas said.
