Police: 'Burglaries Are No. 1 on Our Priority List'

Suffolk County's Fourth Precinct police are cracking down on home burglaries after recent break-ins in Fort Salonga and Smithtown. 

Inspector William Murphy, commanding officer of Suffolk County's Fourth Precinct in Smithtown, said police are investigating a recent string of burglaries in Fort Salonga, three homes hit on Oct. 28, and Smithtown, three homes hit between Oct. 16 - 18, and whether or not they are related. 

"There's not a rise in burglaries, but they seem to be hitting neighborhoods in pockets," Murphy said. "They seem to be hitting 2-3 times in a particular area then disappearing for a while, so it’s hard to put into place any anti-crime strategy."

While the overall number of burglaries to in Fourth Precinct area - which covers the Town of Smithtown, Village of the Branch, Islandia, Lake Grove - is down so far in 2013, according to Murphy, that does not mean police are taking the matter lightly. 

Police have noticed a recent trend where the thieves approach the targeted homes first, often knocking on the front door to see if anyone is home. 

"They knock on the door and use some excuse like, "Have you seen my dog?" or "My car broke down on the block and can I use your phone? or  even 
"I’m doing a survey...," Murphy said. "They make up a line to make people think they are in the area for a purpose, when they are only checking for burglaries." 

One common factor between the Fort Salonga and Smithtown burglaries: The suspects enter homes through unlocked or open doors and windows. 

Residents are being encouraged to report any suspicious activity or vehicles to the police immediately. Anyone in their home or who comes home to a possible burglary in progress should call 911. 

"I have  directed my officers to take suspicious calls and respond to all those locations as quickly as possible," Murphy said. 

One local resident posted a community alert on Facebook earlier this week about a possible suspicious gold, four-door Honda sedan seen in the Fort Salonga area. The Facebook post claimed two people in the vehicle were going around the neighborhood allegedly offering a lawn-mowing service and looking for a lost dog. 

Murphy said the photographs of the vehicle have been submitted to police, who are looking into it as a possible vehicle of interest. 

Meanwhile, he encourages any residents with possible information or questions about the robberies to reach out to the COPE officers are 631-854-8478.