"For the past month and a half, there has been almost a burglary a day," Hoboken Police Department Lt. Paul DiMartino said last week.
The Hoboken Police Department is asking residents to make sure they take the proper precautions to stymie would-be burglars. In the first eight days of July there have already been seven burglaries, and in June, there were 30 reported cases, DiMartino said.
Because of the summer months, there are more open windows and doors, not to mention air conditioners that can be pushed out of windows.
DiMartino said last week that the "vast majority" of the burglaries weren’t forced entries.
"In many cases, doors were left unlocked, windows were not closed, or people didn’t watch to make sure their garage door closed all the way," he said. "Crimes like these are preventable with only minimal cost and a little common sense. We want people to know that they can be their own best advocate when it comes to stopping burglaries."
He added that there is no evidence that the recent burglaries are connected to a single perpetrator or group. No arrests have been made.
Specific examples
Tuesday, DiMartino gave several examples of recent burglaries in the Hoboken area.
He said a woman left her purse on the kitchen table and went to bed with the back door unlocked. During the night, a criminal who was canvassing backyards saw the purse, opened the door, and took it. When the woman woke up, it was gone.
In another incident, a local man who lives on the top floor of a brownstone heard someone on the roof, but at first thought it was a repairman. Some time later, he learned a thief climbed down the fire escape and entered through an open window on a lower floor. DiMartino said that if the man had called the police, the criminal might have been caught.
The police urge local residents to be alert and call them at (201) 420-2100 if they see someone who looks suspicious. The burglars often approach a house from the rear, the police say, and the only person who may notice them is a neighbor.
"If you see something suspicious," said DiMartino "No one should feel nervous or afraid to call the police. If it turns out to be a false alarm, that’s fine."
He said that other common burglary techniques include the pushing in of first floor air conditioning units, entering into garage doors when a driver speeds off without watching to make sure the door closes, or climbing in an unlatched backyard window.
Check your locks
Police offer these other tips:
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Make sure every external door has a sturdy, well-installed dead boltlock. Key-in-the-knob locks alone are not enough.§
Sliding glass doors can offer easy access if they are not properly secured. You can secure them by installing commercially available locks or putting a broomstick or dowel in the inside track to jam the door. To prevent the door being lifted off the track, drill a hole through the slide door frame and the fixed frame. Then insert a pin in the hole.- Lock double-hung windows with key locks or "pin" your windows by drilling a small hole into a 45 degree angle between the inner and outer frames, then insert a nail that can be removed. Secure basement windows with grilles or grates.
- Instead of hiding keys around the outside of your home, give an extra key to a neighbor you trust.
- When you move into a new house or apartment, re-key the locks.
Check your doors
- A lock on a flimsy door is about as effective as locking your car door but leaving the window down. All outside doors should be metal or solid wood.
- If your doors don’t fit tightly in their frames, install weather stripping around them.
- Install a peephole or wide angle viewer in all entry doors so you can see who is outside without opening the door. Door chains break easily and don’t keep out intruders.
Look outside also
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Thieves hate bright lights. Install outside lights and keep them on at night.§
Keep your yard clean. Prune back shrubbery so it doesn’t hide doors or windows.§
Cut back tree limbs that a thief could use to climb to an upper-level window.§
If you travel, create the illusion that you’re home by getting some timers that will turn lights on and off in different areas of your house throughout the evening. Lights burning 24 hours a day signal an empty house.§
Leave shades, blinds, and curtains in normal positions.§
Don’t let your mail pile up. Call the post office to stop delivery, or have a neighbor pick it up.- Make a list of your valuables – VCRs, stereos, computers, jewelry. Take photos of the items, list their serial numbers and description.
Be careful
Burglars can commit rape, robbery, and assault if they are surprised by someone coming home to find them or pick a home that is occupied, said DiMartino.
If something looks questionable – a slit screen, a broken window or an open door – don’t go in. Call the police from a neighbor’s house or a public phone.
At night, if you think you hear someone breaking in, leave safely if you can, then call the police. If you can’t leave, lock yourself in a room with a phone and call the police.
They’re here to help
DiMartino added that the Hoboken Police Department offers free home safety inspections, where officers conduct home visits and make recommendations on what can be done to protect the home from burglary. To make an appointment, call the Community Policing Unit at (201) 420-2211.