LOWER EAST SIDE — Police are urging residents to lock their windows and to keep an eye on their belongings after a spike in burglaries over the past month.
Nine incidents have occurred in the 7th Precinct during the last 28-day period, more than double the number of burglaries in the same time last year, said commanding officer Capt. Steven Hellman. Last year, four burglaries took place in the precinct during the same period, he said.
The mix of residential and commercial burglaries has mostly occurred in the northwest corner of the precinct, between East Houston and Delancey streets and Allen and Suffolk streets, Hellman said. In each case, burglars targeted items like cellphones and laptops.
Four of the burglaries occurred in residential units after midnight, mostly on Clinton Street, with thieves using fire escapes to access open rear windows in three of the incidents, Hellman said. In the fourth case it was unknown how the suspect entered the residence, he added.
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Police arrested one person in connection with a residential burglary at 186 Norfolk St. earlier this month, he said, and no new incidents have popped up since then.
Burglars have also targeted commercial trucks recently, Hellman said. In five cases over the past month, thieves stole cellphones and other miscellaneous items after drivers left their trucks unlocked, he said.
The 7th Precinct has stepped up enforcement in the area, Hellman said, but police are also urging local residents and businesses to lock their doors and windows, Hellman said.
“Lock your windows, be aware of your surroundings [and] secure your property,” he advised.
