photo by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, multiple vehicle break-ins and stolen cars are being reported on the north side of the Village, the area bordering Ho-Ho-kus. Ho-Ho-Kus residents are also reporting the same thing. Please check your car to make sure that it hasn’t been broken into. If it has, call Ridgewood Police immediately at 201-652-3900.
Remember these tips for your cars:
1. Lock your cars
2. Do not leave the key fob in the car
3. Report suspicious persons and cars immediately via 911
4. Do not leave valuables in your car.
Ho-Ho-Kus Police have posted tips on their website calling burglary a crime of opportunity. The tips apply to residents in Ridgewood and Glen Rock as well. Burglars will often walk around a house several times looking for the easiest way in. These tips are suggested to make your home a less attractive target:
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- Create the appearance that you are home by using timers on lights, radios, and televisions.
- Keep the perimeter of your home well lit. Motion sensor lighting or thermal sensor lighting should be used illuminating all possible points of entry.
- Keep doors and windows locked. Over thirty percent of burglaries are through an open door or window. Doors should have deadbolt locks with at least a one-inch throw and a reinforced strike plate with three-inch screws. All windows should have locks.
- Keep shrubbery trimmed away from entrances and windows.
- Secure sliding glass doors with a metal bar, known as a “charlie bar”, in the track. This prevents the door from being forced open or lifted from the track.
- Lock the garage door. Do not rely on the garage door opener.
- Know your neighborhood. Get to know your neighbors that surround your house. Neighbors who communicate regularly are more likely to report suspicious activity to the police. Let a neighbor know if you are going away.
- Do not leave clues that you are away. Burglars look for uncollected trash, newspapers, mail, and deliveries. Stop your paper and mail delivery. Ask a neighbor to take in any unexpected deliveries or flyers. Do not leave a message on your answering machine that says you are away.
- Do not hide keys under mats, above ledges or in planter boxes. Experienced burglars will check these places.
- If you see something that may be suspicious, call the police. Many times after a burglary a neighbor will say that they saw or heard something and wished they called the police. We are never too busy to check out suspicious activity. Concerned neighbors are our best source for crime prevention.
If you want more information about burglary prevention or would like a security survey of your home please call Ho-Ho-Kus Police Department at 201-652-1700.
No matter how often people are reminded not to leave their cars unlocked at night, some idiots still insist on leaving their cars unlocked with computers, wallets, and other valuables on the seat. Go figure!And then they blame it on the police for not sitting in their driveway watching their property.
It’s called insurance fraud
It’s not really a break in if you leave your car unlocked with valuables in plain sight. It’s more like an open invitation. You can’t legislate stupid.
Look at how these people vote.
They are not the brightest bulbs in the pack.
On the upside, they get to play the victim card.
would be helpfu to list: times,
perps description including: race, height, shoes/sneakers clothes/colors, methods of transportation to crime scene (on foot, bike, another car ?) Someone in the neighborhood may have seen “something” but did not say “something”.
I almost had my car stolen and I did not leave it unlocked. Those of you that think “idiots” leaving cars unlocked get what they deserve are seriously mistaken. The problem is roving bands of thugs and criminals in our neighborhoods, not stupid people. Our neighborhoods never had this problem 40 years ago.
Sounds like insurance fraud to me
I love all the advise. No bushes around the house, cut all the trees so the innocent criminals can’t hide, lock cars with lock bars, put iron bars on doors and windows, flatten all the greenery to grass level only, put signs all around asking these poor thieves “to please be aware that you may be on camera” and so on and so forth. Unless you do this it is all your fault for being robbed. Nobody asks how many all these criminals have been caught, what has their record been, are they getting proper punishment etc. You can’t ask for this because most likely you will be facing so called “minority” members and you may be ruined for life by being branded a white racist. Well for those of you who vote morons into the office locally or nationally and without thinking for your family interests you enjoy the fruits of your poor choices. Elections have consequences. Demoting the police won’t help either. Turn these once beautiful suburbs into urban sh!.holes . If you can’t turn Paterson into RW/HHK you may as well turn them into Paterson. You will all feel great for contributing to equity.
stop leaving your key fob in your unlocked car.