Monday, January 07, 2013

lowest burglary rate in 6 year

article is in today's www.greenburgh.dailyvoice.com.

Greenburgh Burglaries Lowest In Six Years

There were 68 burglaries reported to the Greenburgh Police Department in 2012, the lowest number of incidents in six years.Photo Credit: Samantha Kramer
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The number of burglaries in Greenburgh fell in 2012 to its lowest point in six years, according to the Greenburgh Police Department and the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.
The state agency has compiled the number of incidents reported to police each year since 2007, including the number of violent crimes and property crimes. The Greenburgh Police Department ranked sixth-highest in Westchester County in the average number of incidents reported each year, with 764.
Greenburgh police reported 68 burglaries in 2012, down from 80 burglaries in 2011. During 2012, burglaries were at their highest in July, with 10 incidents, and lowest in October, with only two incidents.
Greenburgh police reported 3,821 incidents from 2007 through 2011. The report includes the violent crimes of murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, and the property crimes of burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft.
Greenburgh Police Chief Joe DeCarlo said the department has been making an effort to lower the number of burglaries in the town over the past few years, including the creation of a burglary task force in May 2011.
Police have increased their presence in both uniform and marked cars to attempt to deter burglars, as well as undercover in plain clothes to try to catch perpetrators, DeCarlo said. Police alerted neighborhoods after several night burglaries occurred in Edgemont by leaving fliers on homes' doorsteps, saying the residents needed to add outside lighting to prevent dangerous incidents.
"The nighttime burglaries were a concern — many houses didn't have lights on or timers, so they were inviting burglars into their homes," DeCarlo said. "We did try to be proactive and get the word out. I think it paid off."
Greenburgh owes its high crime incident rate to being one of the largest communities in the county — the Greenburgh Police Department covers 18 square miles, while most villages in the criminal justice report cover two or three, DeCarlo said.
Greenburgh has had two murders since 2007, according to the report.

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