Police See Uptick in Burglaries in North Lindenhurst

A rash of burglaries in North Lindenhurst near and around has the Suffolk Police First Precinct on alert.

So far, in the past month, police have two reported attempted burglaries and two reported in North Lindy.

One of the attempted burglaries on file occurred on April 4. A homeowner on Marie Street reported hearing a noise at the back door, but the subject ran off without entering the house, police said.

Two burglaries occurred after that attempt was reported, police indicated.

“An unknown subject forced a side door open and removed coins” at a home on Jackson Avenue on April 8, SCPD officials said.

This was followed by another burglary report on April 12 on Sherbrooke Road that involved “an unknown subject who kicked in the kitchen door of an unoccupied house and removed a change box and a lock box,” officials said, adding the homeowner was away at the time of the incident.

These burglaries do represent an uptick in that particular crime in North Lindenhurst for April; however, “precinct-wide burglaries are down year-to-date from this time last year,” Inspector Gerard Gigante, commanding officer of the SCPD’s First Precinct, told Lindenhurst Patch on Wednesday.

Gigante cited no specific reason for the increase in burglaries in the area, but did say, “Oftentimes we find drug addiction leads some to commit burglaries to support their habit. It‘s generally committed by someone who’s desperate for cash.”

The inspector assured, “First Squad detectives are investigating these crimes and are pursuing leads.”

And while Gigante couldn’t comment on the specifics of the on-going investigation, he did say, “Due to the proximity of these burglaries and attempted burglaries, they’re likely the work of one or two subjects working together who might even live in the area.”

While the investigation continues into this spate of burglaries, Gigante told Patch the precinct is also doing everything it can to prevent further burglaries from happening.

“We track burglaries as they occur, and add unmarked and marked patrols to communities that are experiencing increases. Officers often gather useful information from people that they come in contact with by directing inquiries toward emerging crime patterns. COPE and Street Crime officers are often involved in this manner,” he explained.

Gigante also had this advice for residentsworried about a break-in: “Doors and windows should be locked at night. Trees shouldn’t block the view of windows and doors. Proper lighting is important. Don’t keep cash, keys and electronics in plain view of a window, particularly near a kitchen door or window.”

And if a resident finds that he or she has been the victim of a burglary, then he or she should immediately call the police and “try not to touch anything,” Gigante said.