Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • January 21, 2009 Franklin Lakes Burglaries rankle borough, but are not unusual by Frank J. McMahon The reports of numerous house burglaries in Franklin Lakes during December were inaccurate according Police Chief Irving Conklin. Police records indicate there were 20 house burglaries in the borough during 2008, three of which occurred in December. Conklin acknowledged that any burglary is stressful on those affected by the loss of personal valuables and the invasion of their privacy, and other residents of the borough who are concerned they could be next to be victimized. But he emphasized that the number of burglaries that occurred in 2008, and especially in the last quarter of that year, is not an unusual number compared to other years. “This is something that occurs, and some years you have more and some years you have less but, basically it occurs,” Conklin said. “No one likes to have their house entered, but the fact is it does occur and we have to remain calm.” A review of the burglaries committed in the borough in 2008 also indicates the incidents were scattered throughout the municipality, although most of them were committed south of Route 208. None of the burglaries were committed when the owners were home. Lieutenant John Bakelaar of the Franklin Lakes Police Department prepares the police reports for publication in the local newspapers. He advised that the average for house burglaries in the borough is about 15 to 25 per year and that is about the same number for many towns. Many of the burglaries are committed by the same people. “Burglaries, for the most part, do happen in clusters,” Bakelaar said. “You’ll get a group of individuals who suddenly become active throughout the area, and that depends on the group.” He said the recent burglaries may have been committed by the same group because they used the same entry method of knocking in a front, side, or rear door to get into a home. Bakelaar spoke to a group of residents recently about burglaries in their area and he said they were surprised to hear that there are 15 to 20 burglaries each year in town even though they are reported in the local newspapers. “That’s not to diminish the importance of (these burglaries) but it is not something that is out of control and has suddenly invaded our town,” Bakelaar said. “Lots of people get lulled into a false sense of security because they don’t hear about them, so they don’t think they happen.” He reminded the residents they should to keep their alarms and their house lights on when they are not at home and they should make their homes appear to be occupied. He also urged them to keep their family heirlooms in a safe deposit box, and their jewelry and other valuables in a place where they would not likely to be found. He added that it is important to keep their car doors locked. There were 19 burglaries committed in cars in the borough during 2008 and 16 of them were committed in cars that were unlocked while valuables were left inside. Bakelaar also urged residents to call the police immediately whenever there is suspicious activity in the neighborhood. One ruse that is used, according to Bakelaar, is for the perpetrator to come to the front door and ask for someone who does not live there just to see if anyone is at home. (continued on page 19) ���� ��������� ���� � ������� ������ �������� ������������� ��������������� JIM’S HOME REPAIR Master Carpenter Painting Sheetrock Basement / Attic Clean-outs 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE Doors Hung Tile Work Those Little Repairs NO JOB TOO SMALL OR BIG REASONABLE RATES 201-788-8052 serve Energ y n Co you can’t afford to be cold! OLD COLD and DRAFTY doors can be a problem and a heat loss! We repair and refurbish all types of doors, locks and weather stripping. If your home is a reflection of you, be sure to visit our comprehensive New Jersey showroom for expert design and services. We have over 200 doors on display – many out of the ordinary. We also specialize in period hardware; weather stripping; custom millwork; molding appointments and beveled glass designs. ���������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������������������������� �������������������� ������������������� ������������������������������������������� ������������������������������� ����������������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������������������������� We treat doors like furniture in every room Experts in complete door systems 620 Swan Street, Ramsey, NJ • (201) 327-1414 (800) 366-7754• www.njdoor.com • E-mail: njdc54@yahoo.com ������� ����� ������� ���������� ������������ ���������� ����� ������ ���������� ������ ������ ����������� ������ ����� ������������ ���� �������� ������� �������� �������� �����