February 24, 2011
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Burglaries on the Rise - Crime Spotlight on Delaware County, PA
Years ago I managed an alarm company based in Delaware County, PA. We protected tens of thousands of homes throughout the Philadelphia market, but the towns near our office were not known as hot-spots for burglaries. Sadly, with the current state of the economy, it seems there are no “safe havens” any more. A crime report from late last year showed how one pair of burglars made it look easy to hit a number of Delaware County homes in a short time. The good news: they were caught.
A couple of alleged thieves’ months-long crime spree ended thanks to a multi-county police task force, authorities said. At a press conference at Newtown Police Department headquarters, Delaware County District Attorney G. Michael Green announced the arrests as he stood in front of a table brimming with stolen valuables. Green estimated the net worth of the recovered items to be at least $50,000.
What They Stole
According to the affidavit, police executed a search warrant after spotting a “rescue green” Jeep that was captured by security footage during an alleged burglary, according to a Newtown police press release. Police found a large amount of jewelry, jewelry boxes and electronics, the affidavit stated.
No surprise here – the recovered items came right off my short list of “favorite things for burglars to steal.”
When They Operated – and Where
According to police, the suspects were allegedly involved in at least nine daytime burglaries from Sept. 27 through Nov. 18. The burglaries occurred in Newtown, Marple, Upper Providence, Nether Providence and Concord, as well as in several Chester County towns.
Once again, no surprises. The majority of burglaries happen during the day, when homes are more likely to be empty. And here’s the link to my prior post on how they get in when you’re away.
Smart Police Work
Green said the arrests were the culmination of work by the Cobbs Creek Initiative, a law enforcement task force comprised of officers from Delaware County, Chester County, Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania State Police. “It’s an important one,” Green said of the investigation. “Some of these (alleged burglaries) were pretty brazen … For the victims, it’s gratifying to get their valuables back and to know that these guys are behind bars."
Of course, the best deterrent is a monitored home alarm system – especially one with safer cellular monitoring and smarter interactive features. FrontPoint specializes in these systems, as the #1 ranked nationwide provider of interactive, wireless home security, that’s our commitment. From California to Texas to Florida to Delaware County, Pennsylvania, in thousands of cities and towns all across the US and Canada, FrontPoint is on the job.