Nassau PD forms team to tackle home-burglary spike
REPRINT FROM NEWSDAY MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2016
CARLE PLACE – Home burglaries in Nassau County are up 28 percent over last year, and the police department says it created a new team to fight back.
So far this year, there have been 172 residential break-ins in Nassau, compared to 134 during the same time last year. In response, the Nassau Police Department created a new team to focus solely on home burglaries, dubbed the Burglary Pattern Team.
“They’re working with other units in the police department, people retrieving evidence, seeing if there’s comparisons that can be made. And they’ve been successful so far,” said Detective Lt. Kevin Smith, Nassau’s chief of detectives.
Police are urging residents to take precautions beyond just locking windows and doors. They say to always make it appear that someone is home. After garbage is picked up in the morning, bring the pails in right away so they’re not sitting out all day. And police advise to not grow large bushes and shrubs in front of windows because it gives burglars a place to hide.
Duane Pascale, owner of All Island Security in Mineola, has been in the home security business for 27 years. He says there is definitely a heightened concern about safety among homeowners today.
“Usually we ask, ‘Are you more concerned when you’re home or when you’re not home?’ Now it’s more when people are home,” Pascale said. “It used to be that people wanted to protect their home when they’re out for the day.”
According to Nassau police, overall crime is down about 1 percent so far this year compared to last year, despite the rise in home burglaries.
