AS THE ECONOMY SINKS, CRIME SOARS

Mike McCagg ccSCOOP News Property owners—especially second-home owners and people who leave their homes unattended during the day—are being urged to take extra precautions as the county deals with an increasing number of burglaries. Sheriff David Harrison told ccSCOOP on Tuesday that the number of property crimes, especially burglaries, is on the rise in the county and appears to be tied to the economic crisis. "It started around the end of last year, November–December, and it has continued," Harrison said, noting that is when the real fiscal crisis started to have an impact locally.

Though the high-profile early evening robbery of the 14KT Gold Jewelry Store in Greenport, while staff and customers were present, grabbed headlines recently, most of the crimes have been crimes of opportunity.

"Thefts and burglaries to business and unoccupied homes seem to the biggest problem," said Sheriff Harrison. In addition, incidences of larceny, shoplifting, and other property crimes have increased. The biggest target, Harrison reported, are unoccupied homes and businesses without alarm systems. Though he cautioned that the crime surge has been across the county, the most recent investigations have involved burglaries in the Ghent–Chatham area.

The sheriff did not have actual statistics available at this time but said police agencies across the county are reporting the surge in activity. He cautioned that some simple steps, such as keeping doors locked, may prevent a crime. "We have had incidents where burglars are checking doors of unoccupied dwellings looking to see which are open," Harrison said.

Sheriff Harrison said that anyone noticing suspicious people or activities in their neighborhood should call his office at 828-3344. They should not approach the person but rather obtain a good description of the person (approximate height, weight, skin color, etc.) or the vehicle (license plate number, year, make and model). He urged that if people believe they are witnessing an actual crime, they should call 911 immediately.

Here are some tips for preventing burglaries provided by State Farm Insurance.

• Make your home look occupied at all times;
• Always park your car in the garage with the door shut to prevent a potential burglar from noting a pattern;
• Use automatic timers on lights when away from home;
• Place radios on automatic timers and raise the volume so they can be heard outside;
• Lower the sound of your telephone ringer and answering machine so that they can't be heard outside;
• Never leave notes on your door that can tip off burglars.

When away for more than a day:

• If possible, have your telephone calls forwarded when you are away from home. Burglars sometimes check to see if someone is home by making a telephone call;
• Have a trusted neighbor pick up the mail and newspaper. If possible, do not have either stopped. That gives information about you being away from home to others whom you do not know;
• If away for an extended period, have a plan in place to have the grass mowed or snow shoveled;
• If you are away from home on garbage pickup day, ask a trusted neighbor to put your garbage cans out to the street and take them back in. You may wish to have your neighbor use your garbage cans while you are out. Burglars sometimes check for empty cans as a sign the family is away;
• Even if you don't need specific help, always tell a trusted neighbor if you are going to be gone for a few days;
• If you are going to be gone for an extended period, ask your local police to check your home periodically.

 Use common sense caution:

• Always lock all doors and windows when you leave the house;
• Use a peephole to identify visitors before opening your door;
• Do not hide spare keys outside your home. Instead give one to a trusted neighbor;
• Do not provide your house keys to service people;
• Do not invite strangers into your home;
• Do not have money or jewelry lying out in view from a window. If possible, keep jewelry and other small valuables and important documents in a safe deposit box;
• Do not tell strangers your daily routines;
• If you are at home working outside, leave all other doors that are out of sight locked;
• Avoid telling others about the valuables in your home;
• If you have children, discuss home security with them, such as not talking with strangers about their home, its contents, or family schedules.