QUEENS — Police are searching for burglars who broke into more than a dozen Forest Hills apartments, including several near Forest Hills High School, and stole cash and jewelry.
In the most recent 28-day period ending May 17, the number of burglaries in the 112th Precinct, which covers Forest Hills and Rego Park, jumped 275 percent — from four to 15 — compared to the same period last year, said Deputy Inspector Judith Harrison, the precinct's commanding officer, at a community council meeting Wednesday night.
Overall crime in the precinct went down about 2 percent during the same time period.
Seven of the burglaries were clustered in the area between 108th and 112th streets and between 68th Drive and 66th Road, near Forest Hills High School, Harrison said.
The break-ins occurred between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., she noted.
The thieves stole mostly jewelry and cash. In one instance, they also took a laptop.
In some cases, Harrison said, burglars broke into apartments through the windows. In others they entered through the doors.
On several occasions, residents had a hard time getting back into their apartments because burglars also jammed their locks, she said.
Harrison said police are monitoring the area. She also urged residents to install various security devices in their homes, such as alarms, motion sensors and cameras, and asked them to always lock their windows when they are away.
Several weeks ago, an apartment was burglarized when a woman went out for dinner and left a window open, Harrison said.
“She was gone for less than 2 hours,” she said. “That’s all it takes.”
