Levittown in Fear

By Lily Stolzberg

The community of Levittown has been plagued by a string of burglaries. There have been 13 in just over a month and Nassau Police believe they are all related. Most of the burglaries have occurred north of Hempstead Turnpike, but now it seems the thief or thieves have crossed over to the south side.  Cops gave me this list of the streets that were hit between January 16th and February 23rd.

Birch Ln.

Sherwood Rd.

Pinetree Ln.

Barnyard Ln.

Blue Spruce Rd.

North Bellmore Rd.

John Ln.

Parkside

Valley Rd.

Bellmore Rd.

Farm Ln.

As you can only imagine, people are scared. If you have ever been burglarized, you know how violated you feel after it happens. Police  have stepped up patrols and there are more officers (uniformed and plain-clothed) on the street, as well as the K-9 unit. But residents also need to do their part and cops are urging anyone in the area to call 911 if they see anything that seems suspicious. 

The Levittown burglaries have all occurred in broad daylight, weekdays when people are most likely at work. Cops believe the thief or thieves are checking to see if anyone is home by ringing doorbells or checking for clues that may show that the house is empty. That's why police are offering some tips to better safeguard your home and your valuables.

1. Prune overgrown shrubbery that hides windows and doors.

2. Make alarm stickers visible on doors and windows. Even if you don't have an alarm, try and get a sticker.

3. Keep a car in the driveway, if possible.

4. Place a dog bowl or beware of dog sticker on your property to give the appearance of canine security.

5. Do not have packages left in the doorway. Arrange a delivery time.

6. Do not leave garbage cans at the curb.

7. Install outside motion detection lights high enough so a burglar can't unscrew the bulbs.

8. Do not place valuables in dresser drawers in your bedroom. This is usually the first place a burglar looks.

If you want to see even more ways to help prevent a burglary in your home you can go to this website: http://www.police.co.nassau.ny.us/pubserve/HomeSecurity.pdf.

Unfortunately cops say they haven't been able to identify any suspects through forensic evidence, most likely because those responsible haven't been in trouble with the law....yet!  But the police want you to be assured they are doing everything to catch the people who have put fear into this quiet, family oriented community.

Comments

[John]

I'd add that, in general, you want the appearance of normal activity to everybody except your neighbors. Modern timers allow lights and televisions to vary when they turn on and off, and if your neighbors know you're away, anything out of the ordinary will catch their attention.