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Nov 24, 2008 11:15 pm US/Eastern
Bad Economy Leads To Rise In Break-Ins
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Homeowners beware: police say the tough economy has criminals breaking into houses, especially as the holidays approach.
In Brookline, for example, six homes were broken into within four days last week. Police in other towns and cities tell WBZ they're dealing with similar problems. Billerica, Lowell, New Bedford, Tyngsboro and Dunstable have also seen spikes in burglaries.
WBZ spoke with one victim who didn't want to give his name. "Suddenly I heard someone galloping up the stairs and came to the door of the computer room, saw a fellow there with a down coat over his head and screamed at him and he left quickly, left skid marks on the stairs and took off and I chased him out of the house."
He says the man didn't have time to steal anything, "Of course it's a violation... I can't say what frame of mind he was in or what made him do it, but the economy is certainly contributing to people doing things they might not ordinarily do."
In most of the Brookline cases, burglars got in through basement windows and took off with electronic items such as iPods, cell phones, and computers. Most were during daylight hours, while the residents were not home.
Police say they are patrolling the south side of Brookline, where the rash of break-ins occurred. They do not have a good description of the burglar. "He's just grabbing jewelry, if there's an iPod handy or a laptop, anything easy," said Captain John O'Leary. "The safest thing I think you can do is, please lock your doors and your windows, even when you're home."
Alarm systems and dogs can help as well, but police say they're not fool-proof.
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