By JIM AUSTIN
Cooperstown Crier
The Cooperstown Police Department
wants village residents
to be aware there have been more
burglaries and unlawful home
entries recently.
The department also advises
residents to take
some simple steps
to avoid failing victim
to those crimes.
According to Police
Chief Diana
Nicols, a suspect
questioned by the
state police mentioned
Cooperstown
and in further questioning,
claimed as
many as 20 houses
and 30 vehicles in
the village were entered.
``We didn’t have
anywhere near that
number of reports,’’
said Nicols, adding
that Cooperstown always has
burglaries but not too frequently.
The suspect said he and an accomplice
targeted Cooperstown
because they believed there
would be no police officer on duty
at night.
Nicols said their plan was to
enter unlocked homes and vehicles
at night, sometimes when
people were at home, and look for
cash and small electronic items
which might not immediately be
noticed were missing or assumed
to have been misplaced.
One of those involved was arrested
and is now in jail, but more
burglaries have occurred. This
time the perpetrators used force
to gain entry into homes.
Nicols said officers
were able to
obtain some good
fingerprints which
were sent to a
crime lab, but were
not a match for
anyone in the fingerprint
database.
Police have obtained
other evidence,
but Nicols
declined to discuss
the nature of the
evidence.
``People in Cooperstown
like to
believe this is the
same quaint village
from the
1940s where you know all your
neighbors,’’ she said. ``You may
still know all your neighbors, but
not the guy driving down your
street in a van.’’
The department is asking
people to take a look at
their homes and check for
signs of entry — forcible or
not. There may
be signs someone
attempted
to pry open a
window or
lock.
Nicols said
they are also
asking residents
to take
some simple
precautions to
reduce the
chances someone
could gain
easy access to
their home:
lock all
doors and windows,
have mail and newspapers
held when no one is
home,
consider putting lights
on a timer when the residence
will be unoccupied,
notify the police department
when the residence
will be unoccupied,
and
report any suspicious
activity in the neighborhood.
Nicols said her department
is also happy to visit
homes and make recommendations
to keep residents
safe.
Research shows, she
said, that often criminals
who encounter even a minor
deterrent move on to
another house.
``Little things go a long
way toward keeping a home
safe,’’ she said.
Nicols said
the economic
downturn may
have something
to do with the increase
in burglaries.
She said they
are seeing some
anecdotal evidence
that points
in that direction.
In addition to
more burglaries,
the department
is also seeing
more bad check
charges than in
the past.
The department may be
contacted in a non-emergency
situation by calling
547-2500.
In all emergency situations
call 911 for the fastest
response.
