Home Alarm Systems – Crime Spotlight: One Crime Ring with 200 Burglaries in New York City Suburbs

While there are increasing reports on multiple break-ins by groups of burglars, and particular cities and towns experiencing a spike in burglaries, this story stands out. It’s about a ring that may have committed over 200 burglaries in the space of one year – and it has a very weird twist, with the perps targeting Asian homeowners. It’s worth reading the entire report for the details, but here are some highlights:

A Queens, N.Y., man arrested last month on felony larceny charges was part of a burglary ring that targeted Asian homeowners throughout the tri-state area and could have been involved with more than 200 break-ins last year, police and court records said. Stamford police Sgt. Peter diSpagna said Morales worked with a burglary crew that hit homes from New Jersey to Norwalk, only focusing on families of Asian descent. The alleged thieves operated on the belief that Asians shunned banks and kept cash in their homes, diSpagna said.

It required some coordinated effort and clever investigative work by several law enforcement agencies to put the pieces together:

Stamford police began investigating the burglaries and met with authorities in several Westchester towns, which reported more than 19 burglaries involving the homes of Asian families. Stamford worked with the New York State Police, the New York City Police Department and district attorneys from Westchester County in the investigation.

What did the steal – and when?

The burglary ring stole thousands of dollars in valuables from the Stamford homes, including $19,700 in total from a home where a diamond engagement ring and two gold chains went missing. Police say residents reported a similar account -- they left home for work or school and came home to find bedrooms ransacked and windows forced open. Several similar burglaries of homes owned by Asian families occurred a week later in Norwalk.

Sadly, this story is similar in many respects to plenty of others I read. That's why I wrote these three posts that you will find helpful:

• What Intruders steal
• How intruders get in
• Top 10 home security tips to make your home less vulnerable

Of course, one of the most important steps you can take is to have a monitored alarm system – statistics show that you are only one third as likely to experience a break-in if your home is protected in this way. And of course, it pays to have the right kind of system from the right company: safer cellular monitoring, interactive services for remote control and notifications, and so easy that you can set it up yourself. Make it all affordable, and the combination of benefits sounds like the path to peace of mind – and also sounds just like FrontPoint, the nationwide leader in interactive, wireless home security.