Area law-enforcement officials this week emphasized the importance of vigilance when it comes to seemingly commonsense actions such as locking doors or leaving your vehicle idling and unattended—regardless of the duration of the errand.
“People are still leaving their cars unlocked,” 106th Precinct Neighborhood Coordination Officer Pete Paese noted Monday evening at the Sector A (Howard Beach, Lindenwood, Hamilton Beach) Build the Block Meeting in Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy’s gym. “[Crooks] are stealing everything from a few coins to the keys for another vehicle.”
Officers also pointed out that the holiday season is just a few weeks away.
“Christmas is almost here,” NCO Mike Petrizzo said. “Your packages need to be secured.”
To that end, Petrizzo and Paese suggested communicating with drivers from the U.S. Postal Service, UPS, and FedEx, indicating where you’d prefer they leave larger parcels. The cops recommended having packages delivered to a side door or back door, wherever possible.
“Be proactive—prevent the problems before they happen,” Petrizzo added.
Forum Photo Courtesy of Michael V. Cusenza
