Lower Merion Burglaries Again Discussed at Township Meeting

Burglaries in the township were down about 19 percent in 2011 from 2010, said Lower Merion Police Superintendent Michael McGrath during his monthly report to the Lower Merion Board of Commissioners police committee Wednesday night.

However, burglaries in 2010 were up from the previous year, McGrath said. 

“We’ve been getting a lot of communication from our residents about suspicious activity,” McGrath said. “There is a lot of additional information to be gleaned from residents. Burglars don’t just confine themselves to one area.” 

McGrath spoke about the burglaries in reference to a question from Commissioner Jenny Brown about crimes in the eastern part of the township toward the end of January. Those burglaries were on , , and , she wrote in an email to residents on Friday.

Again, McGrath and commissioners encouraged residents to report any suspicious activity to Lower Merion police’s nonemergency line at 610-649-1000.

Commissioner Brian Gordon said he has heard residents express hesitation at calling police to report suspicious behavior because they feel as if they might be "bothering" police, but he emphasized the importance of calling police with any tips.

The issue of was also addressed by McGrath at the January police committee meeting.

Other police news discussed included:

• Commissioners recommended for full board approval the three-day suspension of an unnamed officer, based on information provided to them by McGrath prior to the committee meeting. This is the third disciplinary action taken against Lower Merion officers in three months. Last month, an officer . In December, an unnamed officer was for violating discipline codes.
• Thirteen new police officers joined the township police force on Thursday, said Commissioner Brian Gordon.
• Smartcards for township parking meters can be picked up at the in Ardmore.