After Break-ins, Residents Warned to Lock Doors & Windows

by Judy Silberstein

(September 18, 2008) The Larchmont Police Department’s prevention officer reminded residents to lock doors and windows and arm their burglar alarms in the wake of back-to-back incidents on Pine Brook Drive and Mayhew Avenue over the past weekend.

Many Pine Brook residents had already been alerted after one of the burglarized homeowners knocked on their doors Saturday to report that her home had been entered sometime around midnight. The family had been out of town, but had left windows open at the back of the home. Sometime late Friday or early Saturday, one or more persons had entered the home and commandeered a pillow case to gather valuables from the master bedroom, which was left ransacked.

Another burglary may have occurred the same night nearby on Mayhew, where a back window had been left ajar, but the home owner has yet to report what, if anything, was taken.

Sgt. Ron Knudsen, Larchmont's prevention officer, reports on two recent incidents and provides safety tips for residents at the Pine Brook picnic on September 14.

According to Sergeant Ronald Knudsen, who answered questions from residents at the annual homeowners’ association gathering in Pine Brook Park on Sunday, September 14, the two recent events are the only Larchmont house robberies to have been reported in the past six months. There had been two apartment robberies in June.

“This doesn’t happen on a regular basis, he said, “we have a very safe community.”
Sgt. Knudsen labeled the Pine Brook break-in as a “crime of opportunity” in response to windows being left open. “If it was premeditated, the person would have targeted specific items,” he said.

There were no indications of forced entry - no ladder, no crowbar and no broken windows. Although he could not “get into specifics” of a crime under investigation, he said it was likely both incidents involved the same person or persons.

The incidents are probably not related to a series of Mamaroneck Town patio door break-ins reported earlier in the year, said Sgt. Knudsen, however Village and Town departments are in touch about the events. (See: Patio Door Burglaries Hit Mamaroneck Town)

The recent burglaries also appear to be unrelated to the two Larchmont Village apartment burglaries occurring in June, one on Palmer and the other on Chatsworth, said Chief John Poleway, contacted later in the week. On June 2 and again on June 5, a burglar gained entry into an apartment through an open window, however, the nature of items taken suggest to the police that the perpetrators in the apartment and home burglaries were from different age groups.

Because all of the incidents remain under investigation, police are not revealing details about what was taken. “Burglaries are serious, regardless of where they occur, said Chief Poleway. “We hope to have some conclusion.”

Sgt. Knudsen told the Pine Brook resident, “Don’t be overly concerned, don’t get paranoid, but take precautions.” His recommendations included:

• Lock doors and accessible windows, even when you are home
  
  
• If you go away, leave lights and a radio on. This gives the impression that someone could return at any moment.
  
  
• If you have an alarm, arm it when you leave and when you retire for the evening.
  
  
• Sign up for the Larchmont Police Department’s “Dark House” program, which has police checking up on homes when owners are away. Forms are available at the police department, 1000 Larchmont Avenue.
  
  
• If you see someone or something suspicious, immediately call the police at 834-1000. This can help prevent a crime or help the police catch a criminal in the act.

Although the recent break-ins both occurred at night, Sgt. Knudsen said most burglaries now occur during the day. Twenty or thirty years ago, we had night-time “cat burglaries,” he said, but with both husbands and wives away at work, thieves are attracted to homes left empty during the day.

Sgt. Ron Knudsen gets down to kid level in Pine Brook Park for a mini-lesson on strangers.

After speaking with the adults, Sgt. Knudsen gathered the many young children in the park to remind them about how to deal with strangers. “Are all strangers bad,” he asked. “No, but some are.”

The children huddled around the Sgt. Knudsen, inspecting his uniform and badges so they could identify a “real police officer,” and soaking in a mini-lesson in what to do if an unfamiliar adult approaches them.

Front Page

Print This Page
Email this page