Keep Out – How to Avoid a Burglary
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It seems like there has been a recent flurry of home break-ins throughout Scarsdale. Statistics from the Police Department show that the number of burglaries has risen from 16 in 2007 to 45 last year. And, there have already been six in 2011.
Whether up or down, burglaries are inevitably a problem in affluent communities.
Speaking with several members of the Scarsdale Police Department, I’ve put together the following suggestions to keep your home and property safe. Of course, a determined professional will be able to enter even a well secured home.
Some of these things may seem obvious but we all get complacent. According to the detectives, the basics are the most important. Keep your doors locked (all of them!) and put on exterior lighting. Motion activated lights are a good investment and they must be 13 feet above the ground to cover the desired area. Also put lights on timers but don’t have them all go on at once. Despite belief to the contrary, most burglaries take place during the day.
If you have an alarm system, use it. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone into burglarized homes and there was an alarm system that had not been activated,” Detective Rodriguez said. A system doesn’t make you burglar proof. There is actually about a 4-10 minute window between the time the alarm goes off and when the police arrive on the scene. The alarm company usually calls the home, gets no answer and then calls the police who are subsequently dispatched. “Actually that’s enough time for an experienced thief to do a complete sweep of the upstairs jewelry and other valuable items,” says Rodriguez.
So what’s a cautious homeowner to do? Don’t leave your jewelry and extra cash in your bedroom dresser drawer. A safe is great but so is a good hiding place out of the bedroom. If you have a safe, bolt it to the floor or walls. You need 4” thick bolts to make it really difficult to move. Robbers don’t generally want to deal with bulky electronics. Don’t forget about watches and other valuables.
The good news is burglars want in and out quickly. The police report that thieves are usually inside the house for not more than 3 to 4 minutes. A barking dog is a good deterrent and you can put a sign outside your home saying you a dog, even if you don’t. Also don’t forget to put out the sign about the alarm system. Fortunately, burglars don’t want anyone to be home and they often ring a doorbell to check. If someone answers, they would say they are looking for a different address. So be on the alert, call the police when you see anything suspicious and … good luck.
Anna Decker is a longtime community volunteer. She was President of the HS PTA, PT Council and has served on numerous school and community boards. In her former life she was in charge of Corporate Communications for the Institutional Bank at Citicorp and she continues to do a variety of freelance projects.
Mad Dog, Public Lewdness, Eggs and Garbage from the Police
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Burglary on Catherine Road: Residents returned to their Catherine Road home after a weekend away on 4/10 and found that someone had broken into their home. The window of a French door leading to the dining room was broken and the thieves are believed to have entered through the door. They entered the master bedroom and another bedroom and took jewelry from both rooms. Silverware was taken from a cabinet in the dining room. The residents will supply police with a complete list of missing items. Neighbors did not notice an activity at the house during the weekend.
Identity Theft: A Secor Road woman reported that someone opened a Verizon internet account in her name and used her American Express Card to charge $300.00 for the monthly fees. The account was registered to a Lawrence Road home and someone there was using the account. The woman was advised to call the Verizon fraud department.
Vandals: On Wildwood Road,a 2002 Ford Expedition was vandalized overnight on 4/9/11- 4/10/11. A tool was used to pop the lock on the rear passenger door and a laptop computer, a brief case and power tools were removed from the back seat and the trunk. The stolen property was valued at $3,000.00.
Mad: An unhappy customer got into a verbal dispute with the store manager at DeCicco’s in Scarsdale Village on 
4/4/11. The man was trying to return some items that the store would not accept. When police arrived, the angry man had already left the store.
Tripped Up: Jerry Parnet reported that he fell on the Popham Road bridge on April 4th and was injured. He wanted to let police know that the area needs to be fixed. Bridge employees marked the spot for repair.
Locked In: Linda Apfel of Middletown New York was locked inside Momotaro after closing on April 4th. She was left behind after the salon was locked up for the night. She was able to find an alternative exit and left the store.
Coyotes: A Magnolia Road man spotted a coyote headed toward Black Birch road on the afternoon of 4/5/11. On the afternoon of 4/9, another coyote was spotted at the pond next to the library. By the time police arrived it was gone.
Repo Man: A representative from U.S. Recovery went to a Dell Road home to repossess a car on the night of 4/5/11. However, the car was in the garage and the resident refused to answer the door. Police advised the repo man that repossession is a civil matter and that he police could not help him.
Fire: There was a fire in a clothes dryer in a home at 45 Tompkins Road on the afternoon of 4/8/11. The resident attempted to put it out. Police advised her to wait outside while the fire department was called to extinguish the fire.
Pull ‘em up!: A Taunton Road woman called police on the evening of 4/8/11 when she saw two teenage boys pull their pants down. The boys were across the pond from her home. When police arrived, they found a teenage boy and a teenage girl lying on the grass near Tisdale road. They claimed they were “hanging out.”
Found: Noel Flagg of Montrose Road found a wallet on the train and turned it over to police on the night of 4/8/11. Police found that the wallet belonged to Marilyn Williams of New Rochelle and they returned it to her.
On 4/5/11 a Richbell Road residents complained that a tree limb was left on her property when her neighbors had a tree removed. Police advised the woman that this was a civil matter and she agreed to have her gardener remove the branch.
On 4/8/11 a Seneca Road woman complained about a rusty bike that had been on her property for three days. Police canvassed the area and found out that the bike belonged to a neighbor who had placed it outside for pick-up.
Loose Shepherd: A Gatehouse Road woman called police at 7:30 pm on 4/8/11 when she heard screams outside. She reported that a loose German Shepherd was barking and circling around another woman who was walking her small dog. The terrified dog walker was screaming because the German Shepherd was jumping on her dog. When police arrived they were able to catch the Shepherd and return the dog to the yard where it belonged. The Shepherd’s owners were not aware the dog had gotten out of the yard and they were given a summons for failing to restrain their large dog. The small dog was not injured.
Garbage: Nelson Road residents called police on the morning of 4/9/11 when they found garbage from McDonalds’ and a water bottle on their front lawn. This was the sixth time garbage had been thrown on their yard. Police issued summonses to two SHS students who were involved in one of the incidents on 3/25/11. They believe that it is highly unlikely that those students were responsible for the most recent incident.
Egged: Shortly after midnight on 4/10/11 police got a report that kids in a dark SUV were throwing eggs out of the car windows as they drove north on Brewster Road. Police were unable to locate the car. However, around noon on 4/10, a School Lane man called to say that eggs were thrown at his house the night before.
From the Greenburgh Police:
Harassed: The Super at a building at 372 Central Avenue called to report that an angry tenant repeatedly banged on his door on Sunday 4/3/11. Though the Super told the woman that it was his day off and instructed her to call the management company she continued to bang on his door and ring the bell. The Super opened the door again and told her he had company and asked her to stop but she continued and then paced the hall. The woman contacted the police who spoke to the Super and said that the woman claimed that the Super had moved her potted plants and damaged her property.
Possession: At 1:45 am the driver of a Ford Escort was stopped on Secor Road in Hartsdale for a traffic violation. Police noticed a bag of marijuana in the car. The 29 year –old driver, James Edward Stone of Colchester, CT was arrested for possession and issued a summons for failing to signal while turning.
A 19- year-old New Rochelle boy was also arrested for possession of marijuana on the night of April 7, 2011. He was stopped for speeding in his 2004 Audi on Central Avenue. When police spoke to him they noticed the smell of marijuana in the car and found that there were three bags of it in the car. The boy was arrested for possession and given a warning about speeding.
Fight: A clerk at 7 Eleven at 300 South Central Avenue called police on 4/7 when an irate man was yelling profanities. The customer got angry when he attempted to purchase cigarettes but was denied because he had no id. He was gone by the time police arrived.
Burglary: The home of a jeweler on Sprain Valley Road in Scarsdale was entered and tossed on Friday night 4/8. Police arrived when the burglar alarm was activated. It appears that the house was entered through an unlocked sliding door. Though items had been moved, the owners were unable to determine if anything had been taken at the time.
Theft: On 4/7 police received a report of the theft of tires and rims from a 2009 Honda Accord parked in the lot of an apartment building on Central Avenue. The Superintendant said the owner of the car is away and he had no way to reach her.
Death: Hee Sunwoo of Meadow Drive in Hartsdale died at home on Friday April 8th. Attempts at resuscitating the 74 year-old women were unsuccessful.
Up on the Roof: An East Hartsdale Avenue woman called police on the evening of 4/8 when she looked out her window and saw three men on the roof across the way. One appeared to be holding a rifle. By the time police arrived, the men had left the roof and police were unable to locate them.
Lottery Scam, ATM Thieves and Strange Substances
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For a brief moment, a 70 year-old Johnson Road man thought he was the winner of $2.5 million dollars in the lottery. On the afternoon of 3/28 he picked up the phone and someone named David Miller from Las Vegas told him that he had won $2.5 million. All he needed to do to collect it was to go to the Western Union office in Walmart and wire $299 to a woman at an address provided by the caller. However Miller repeatedly warned the Edgewood man to “make sure you don’t tell anybody.”
The caller had a foreign accent and the Edgewood man suspected the call was a hoax. So he offered Miller $150 instead, and his offer was accepted.
But instead of wiring the funds, the Scarsdale resident called the police who stopped by, called Miller back and warned him against making further contact. The police determined the call was a scam and told the Scarsdale man to call again if Miller contacted him. After the police left, Miller did call back and said, “I thought you weren’t going to tell anyone….you’re wasting my time!”
ATM Thieves Nabbed: At 4:19 pm on 3/30, Chase Bank security alerted Scarsdale Police that two menwere attempting to use fraudulent ATM cards at the Chase Bank branch at 8 East Parkway. Police looked for the two men --who were described as white males wearing blue jeans, dark jackets and scarves – but were unable to locate them. Police then advised Chase security to send images of the suspects, which police transmitted to area police. Later that evening, the two suspects were arrested by the Yonkers police when the men attempted to use the same fraudulent ATM card at a Chase Bank in Yonkers.
Identity Theft: On the evening of March 29th a Penn Boulevard man came to police headquarters to report that he was the victim of identity theft. When a saleswoman from Bloomingdales in Bridgewater, N.J. sent him a card to thank him for shopping at the store, he realized that someone was shopping with his credit card without his authorization. Shortly thereafter he received credit cards in the mail from J. Crew, the Gap, Macy’s, and Bloomingdales and credit card denial letters from HSBC, Nordstrom, Lord and Taylor, Victoria’s Secret and the World Financial Network National Bank. He also received two credit card statements … one from Bloomindales where $70.03 had been charged and another from Macy’s with charges of $992.75.
The man learned that the imposter had a NYS driver’s license with the Scarsdale man’s name and address. He was described by the Bloomindales Sale Associate as a well-dressed black male.
The Scarsdale man also reported that he had recently opened a checking account at the Chase Bank on Palmer Avenue and had presented all of his personal information. However, he never received his checks in the mail and when he called the bank he learned that the associate he dealt with was no longer working at Chase.
Burglary Attempt? While checking on an activated burglar alarm at a house on Eton Road at 9:30 pm on 4/2, police found the back door of the house open. They checked inside the house and found a master bedroom door open. A neighbor who had walked the dog earlier in the evening was unsure if he had locked the door. Fortunately nothing was missing.
Arrests: Derek L. Wise, a 31 year-old DJ from Yonkers turned himself in to Scarsdale Police on 3/31 for an arrest warrant that was issued on 3/18/11. He was released on $50 bail and ordered to Village Court on 4/6/11.
Terrell Thigpen, age 25 of White Plains was turned over to Scarsdale Police by Greenburgh Police on 4/2 on a bench warrant dating back to 4/8/2010. He was booked and released on $100 bail and given a court date of 4/6/11.
Fire at Scarsdale Synagogue: a florescent ceiling fixture in a meeting room at Scarsdale Synagogue caught fire on the afternoon of 3/28. Temple employees were able to put it out with a fire extinguisher but the fire damaged the wood trim and the carpet and caused smoky conditions in adjoining rooms.
Trash Fire: Police were called when there was a fire in a garbage pail at the corner of Heathcote Road and Palmer Avenue around 5 pm on 4/3. Police used a fire extinguisher to put it out and called the Fire Department to make an evaluation.
Fights: A guest at a Garth Road apartment called police when he heard screaming coming from 42 Garth Road on the morning of April 1st. Police found the woman who was screaming and she explained that she had been having a fight with her brother who is unemployed.
A Brown Road woman called police on the night of 4/2 when a former housekeeper and her husband were demanding payment for two days of work. The Brown Road woman told police that the housekeeper had been hired by her sister who was now overseas and that she did not know if funds were owed. She also reported that the housekeeper had driven away in an old Mercedes Benz with Connecticut plates. Police tried to contact the housekeeper but were unable to reach her.
A Brambach Road girl got into a fight with another girl at 9 pm on April 3rd. When police arrived the girl did not wish to make a report. At 11 pm police received another call from Star Markumas of Shrub Oak. She is a friend of the girl’s mother. The mom was upset about the earlier incident and her friend in Shrub Oak was concerned about her.
Strange Substances: A Tory Lane woman called police on the afternoon of 4/1 when she found two clear zip lock bags containing fine white power on her doorstep. She did not know who left them there or what was inside the bags. She later learned that her friend had dropped off sports drink mix! Police advised the woman to label the bags in the future.
On March 30 Rich Flood of Eastchester reported that he saw a man pouring a black substance down the sewer in front of 2 Overhill Road. After the man finished pouring, he got into his truck and drove away. Flood provided a description of the man and his license number. The Village ran a check and found the identity of the truck owner and the water department took a sample of the substance from the catch basin. The sample will be sent to The Westchester County Department of Laboratories and Research to be analyzed for hazardous materials.
No Soliciting: A Jefferson Road man reported that a solicitor for Save the Children were going door to door on the night of April 1. Police located the solicitor, found that he did not have a permit and asked him to leave the area.
Noise: Police received a noise complaint about a party on Springdale Road shortly after midnight on 4/3. They found a group of kids playing music in the basement. The homeowner was present and agreed to turn off the music and take the kids home.
Animals: A Coyote was spotted at the intersection of Carman and Madison Road on the morning of March 29th.
On March 30th a Bradley Road man complained that a Carman Road dog owner was allowing his “golden” to defecate on the Bradley Road man’s yard every afternoon. Police agreed to patrol and lookout for the culprit. Police patrolled but were unable to catch the dog in the act.
Lost Cat: On Sunday, April 3rd, Hartsdale Vet, Dr. Andrew Thayer and his wife Leslie, lost their beloved cat Henry, when he got out of their house on Ferndale Road in Edgemont. Henry has orange, medium-to-long hair and a very gentle temperament. His disappearance was reported to animal control, but as yet there has been no luck in locating him. As any pet owner can relate to, they are devastated by his disappearance. If you’ve seen him contact the Thayer’s at (914) 589-7927.
Developer Makes Another Attempt to Purchase Village Owned Land
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Here’s an update in the continuing saga of the development of the property at 2-4 Weaver Street. Developers Frederick Fish and Stephen Oder went before the Planning Board on March 16, 2010 to get a read on the Board’s views on the construction of a four-story, 30,000 square foot building to be built above the current parking lot. The proposed project would leave the restaurant parking lot as is --with apartments and resident parking above it. The developers had previously tried to buy a Village owned strip of land that is now used as the driveway to the parking lot, but bowing to pressure from residents, the Village turned them down in February 2010. With the addition of this land, the complex could have been elongated and the driveway could provide access to Weaver Street further away from the intersection at the Five Corners.
Therefore at the March meeting they presented a preliminary plan for a four-story structure that appeared to be taller than the original plans, as the building had to be shoehorned into the remaining property. Planning Board Chair Beverly Sved recommended that the developers make another attempt to purchase the land as she believed it would allow for a better design. She also said that new Board might reconsider the purchase.
On March 24, 2011, the Mayor and Board of Trustees received a letter from Oder proposing purchase of the Village-owned strip for $200,000.
In the letter they agree to limit the new structure to 10 residential units but also ask for the right to convert the existing Heathcote Tavern building to up to four residential units in the future.
Additional stipulations in the proposed agreements are as follows:
- If the Board requires them to build one affordable unit, they will seek to add two more units to the project
- The units must not be age-restricted
- The additional land should be merged with the existing lot to calculate the number of units allowed
- The façade of the Heathcote Tavern building would be substantially preserved for at least 15-years, however there can be no restrictions on the use of the building.
- In all cases, the existing parking agreement with the Village will continue.
- Last, the developers request a decision no later than April 20, 2011 and if the Village is “not interested” the developers will proceed accordingly.”
Though the letter was received on March 24, as of April 5, the Board had still not scheduled a meeting to discuss it, possibly due to the transition of the Board members and the Mayor.
If the Board does vote to sell the land they would have the right to execute an agreement without sending the matter back to the Planning Board for review.
Last year the Heathcote Five Corners Coalition organized a vocal group of concerned citizens to pressure the Village not to sell the land. They feared increased traffic and called for a moratorium on development in the area until the Village could do a comprehensive master plan for the Five Corners. Their views on the developer’s latest attempt to purchase the land are not known at this time.
Since that time the Village approved a 11,000 square foot retail building across the street from the Heathcote Tavern, but the Coalition did not object to that project. Their lack of concern about 1 Palmer Avenue is puzzling as the project includes 42 additional parking spaces, a large new store and a redirection of area traffic. However at a recent meeting about the possibility of installing a rotary at the Five Corners to ease the flow of traffic they did speak up.
It remains to be seen if the new Mayor and Board can agree on a plan before the developer’s April 20th deadline. Clearly the larger site would give the architects more space to set the building back from the busy intersection. But if the new Board cannot come to consensus quickly, Fish and Oder will proceed with a less than optimal plan.
Child Pornography, Physical Abuse and Thefts from the Greenburgh Police
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Child Pornography: Andrew V. Spellman, age 21 of Greenville Road in Scarsdale was arrested for possession and receipt of child pornography at 6 am on Wednesday March 23rd. Greenburgh police assisted the Department of Homeland Security in the execution of the warrant for Spellman’s arrest. Family members of the young man were at home and complied with the officers. Spellman was taken to the White Plains Courthouse for processing.
Fights: A 15 year-old Hartsdale boy caused a fight at his Washington Street home on the night of March 22. The boy was yelling and cursing and said he was angry because his mother had called his girlfriend’s house when she was looking for him. He kicked a baby gate, broke a television and then attacked his stepfather. The boy’s mother has a temporary restraining order against her 15 year-old son who has a history of psychiatric disorders. The boy was taken to Westchester Medical Behavioral Health Center.
In Hartsdale, a Secor Road mother told her 16 year-old son to stop playing video games and the boy became agitated. He picked up a kitchen knife and threatened to hurt himself. The boy fled but police found him, returned the knife and took the boy to Voxberg for a a psychiatric evaluation. The incident occurred on the night of 3/24.
A 28 year-old Hartsdale man assaulted his 29 year-old girlfriend early in the morning on 3/27 at their apartment on North Washington Avenue in Hartsdale. The two had been drinking earlier in the evening and when they returned home the man took some pain medicine and the woman tried to take the bottle away. The man became verbally abusive and then hit her in the head with a wooden stool and slammed her head into a metal doorframe. He then pushed his arm against her throat and bit her arm. She called police from her cell phone and gave her address before he smacked the phone out of her hand. Police placed the man under arrest and took him to headquarters. The woman was taken to White Plains Hospital where she was treated and made her statement.
Jeffrey Sweetnam, an employee at Best Buy reported having a dispute with Hector Orocozo, the security officer at the store. According to Sweetnam, on 2/21 Orocozo accused him of being rude and hanging up on him. Orocozo also threatened to beat him up. Sweetnam told his boss that he did not feel safe at work and the boss told himthat if he did not feel safe he should not come back. His lawyer advised him to get a police report.
Car break-ins: The window of a 1998 Honda was smashed on the night of 3/24 when the car was parked at 1001 Central Avenue and the owner was in the gym. The radio-DVD system were missing from the car.
Also that night, a 2003 BMW X5 parked at Red Lobster on Central Avenue was vandalized. A car window was smashed, and a laptop and textbook were stolen.
DWI: Mark Coupe, age 19 of Dobbs Ferry was arrested for drunk driving at 3 am on 3/25. Coupe was stopped by police on North Central Avenue in Hartsdale when he went through a red light. He failed sobriety tests and was also driving without a license. He was arrested, booked and found to have a BAC of .13%.
Theft: Doreen Hird, age 47 from Mt. Vernon was caught leaving TJ Maxx with concealed merchandise in her handbag on the afternoon of 3/24. Hird took a dress, a pair of shoes, and a pair of pants valued at $141.97 and was caught by a security officer. She was arrested and the merchandise was returned.
62 packages of gum, each containing 10 packs were stolen from Rite Aid on East Hartsdale Avenue on the afternoon of March 26th. The suspect fled toward the train station with $200 worth of gum in hand.
A 60 year-old unemployed teacher from Ossining stole three boxes of chocolate form the Golden Village Market on Central Avenue on the night of March 26. Store Manager Rong Rong Li caught the woman who claimed she did not want to wait on line to pay. Police arrested her and she was booked, processed and released on $500 cash bail.
