Greenacres Residents Meet With Police to Discuss Spate of Burglaries

In response to concerns about a recent spate of burglaries in Greenacres, the Greenacres Association set up a community-wide meeting with the Scarsdale Police at Greenacres School on February 1. Over sixty residents turned out to discuss break-ins on Park Road, Eton Road, Fairview Road, River Road and Greenacres Avenue, and wanted to know what the police are doing to protect the area. Many had break-ins at their own homes or at neighboring homes and were concerned about a perceived lack of a police presence in the area.

Police opened the meeting by sharing year-over-year crime statistics, which surprisingly showed that the number of burglaries in Scarsdale overall was down from 45 in 2010 to 18 in 2011. However seven out of the 18 burglaries last year took place in Greenacres.

In response to the burglaries Scarsdale detectives reported that they dusted for fingerprints and sent any physical evidence to the Westchester Crime Lab for analysis. Descriptions of stolen jewelry are cross-referenced with lists of pawnshop sales from Westchester County and investigated on “Leads Online” that also catalogues transactions of stolen goods. Scarsdale Police are sharing information with police in nearby areas – and this cooperation lead to the arrest of two men who were charged with breaking into a Greenacres Avenue home in September, 2011.

Police noted that all of the burglaries this year took place in homes that had no alarm or did not have the alarm system armed. Most of the break-ins were at homes near parkways or larger roadways that serve as escape routes. They took place between 7:30 am and noon or from 5-8pm when it gets dark. For the most part, these were crimes of opportunity that took place in unoccupied homes.

However, one home on Fairview Road was burglarized while the homeowners were asleep. Police believe the back door may have been unlocked or not properly secured as there was no sign of forced entry. Electronics and a purse was taken and this incident did now match the circumstances of the other burglaries.

In order to step up security, police have taken the following measures:

• License plate readers are now being used to record license plate numbers of cars in the area
• Marked patrol units have been assigned to Greenacres
• Unmarked and undercover cars are being used to patrol
• Bicycle patrols have been assigned
• Police have gone door to door in Greenacres to provide crime prevention tips and create awareness.

In order to prevent burglaries, Police provided the following advice:

• Leave lights and televisions on timers when you are out.
• Use motion sensing outdoor security lights
• Turn on the alarm system
• Keep all doors locked
• Install “pet immune motion sensors
• Install glass break sensors on doors and windows
• Be an observant neighbor
• Don’t use social networking to broadcast that you are away
• Consider the installation of video surveillance cameras
• Store your valuables in a safe.
• If you see something, call police immediately and take down license plate numbers.

Some of the residents at the meeting suspected that the burglaries on Park and Fairview Roads were related to construction in the area and wanted to know if police had records of how many burglaries occurred near construction sites. They urged police to go to the construction sites and gather names of workers. However police reported that similar incidents have recently taken place across the White Plains border on Soundview Avenue.

Residents on Fairview were also concerned about a fence that was taken down that blocked access to Fairview from Park Road. They asked for more patrols of their area so that workers would notice the police presence. One resident urged the Village to consider installing surveillance cameras on the streets and others were concerned that police were not doing enough to investigate these crimes. The police officers stayed to answer all questions and advised parents to tell their children that if they had a concern while home alone, to call the police FIRST and then to call their parents. The tenor of the meeting was serious and it was evident that some no longer feel safe in their homes.

When asked for a comment following the meeting, Lieutenant Thomas Altizio of the Scarsdale Police said, “We are continuing to investigate all burglaries, and ask that the community be vigilant in securing their homes and utilizing alarm systems. We encourage residents to immediately report any suspicious persons or activities to the Scarsdale Police Department so it can be investigated.”  The Scarsdale Police can be reached by calling 722-1200 or dialing 911 in an emergency.