Edgemont Residents Ask Police for Protection

Burglars continue to prey on Edgemont homes where there were two more incidents on December 1st and December 7th. On 12/1, there was an attempted burglary on Sprain Valley Road at 6:30 pm. At the time, the home was unlit and unoccupied. Intruders tried to get in through a sliding glass door at the back of the house but they activated the alarm and never got into the house. Several Greenburgh Police cars were in the area and were able to obtain leads. The homeowners are of Indian descent.

On December 7th, also at 6:30 pm, burglars did get into a house on Thomas Street, behind California Pizza Kitchen. The homeowner went out at 6:30 pm and discovered the burglary when they returned at 10:00 pm. They found a closet in the master bedroom ransacked. Thieves made off with jewelry and watches but left costume jewelry behind. Police believe the suspects were wearing gloves and entered the house through a large “doggie door” in the back door.

Edgemont residents will meet with the police on Thursday night December 15 and are asking  for a long term plan to enhance coverage of the area. In response to residents’ questions, Greenbugh Police Chief Joseph DeCarlo wrote a letter to the Edgemont Community Council, dated December 8 noting the following:

• Since October 1st there have been 7 residential burglaries in Edgemont bringing the total for 2011 to 12 burglaries.
• In 2010 there were 15 burglaires and in 2009 there were 11
• Many of these incidents occurred in the early evening hours at homes that were dark with no lights on.
• In several of the burglaries, entry was made through an unlocked door. In other cases rear sliding doors have been broken to gain access. In some instances alarms were activated and the perpetrators still continued to enter the home.
• All the burglaries have been on the west side of Central Avenue, probably due to larger properties which hide the suspect from the street and other neighbors.
• Burglaries have been prevalent in other areas of the town and many other communities in the County and the Greenburgh Police have been working with other jurisdictions and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Information Center and the Westchester County Police Crime Analysis Unit.
• The department is devoting the full amount of resources it believes are necessary to address this matter including the allocation of on-duty personnel and the use of overtime resources.

Here's what you can do to improve the safety of your home:

• Always close and lock doors and windows when you leave your home, even if only for a few minutes.

• If you have an alarm, use it.

• When you are away during the evening hours, put lights and a radio or television on a timer or on multiple timers.

• Install a flood or spotlight that works on a motion sensor and which will illuminate back entrances to your home when triggered.

• Stop mail and newspapers from being delivered while you are away or have a neighbor pick them up daily for you.

• Undisturbed snow on a driveway or walk is an indicator that no one is at home. Have a neighbor use his car to make tire tracks in the snow on your driveway and put footprints in the snow on the walk or better still, arrange for a neighborhood youth to clear it for you.

• Report anything suspicious you see to the police. You are in the best position to know what looks out of place in your neighborhood. Some excellent leads have been provided by observant citizens. Report what you see using our general business number 682-5300. Of course, if you believe a crime is in progress or about to occur, dial 911. Your assistance can be instrumental in the apprehension of the person(s) responsible for these crimes.

• We believe that suspects will first attempt to determine if anyone is home by first knocking on the resident’s door. If you are home and anyone does come to your door and their reason sounds bogus do not hesitate to contact the police. Attempt to observe if a vehicle is being operated, the model and color.

Residents who would like information on how to make their homes more secure or be involved in a neighborhood watch program should contact Police Officer Peter Dandreano of our Crime Prevention Unit at 682-5334 or pdanreano@greenburghny.com.