VIDEO: Burglars Hit Two New Canaan Homes Wednesday

Surveillance video of residential burglary in New Canaan 9 14 16

Uploaded by Michael Dinan on 2016-09-14.

New Canaan Police are urging residents to take steps to safeguard their homes following two burglaries in town Wednesday afternoon.

At about 12:19 p.m., two suspects forced entry into the back door of a Birchwood Avenue home, according to Lt. Jason Ferraro, NCPD’s public information officer.

The break-in was caught on a video surveillance system (see video above) and the homeowner contacted police.

“Upon arriving officers were unable to apprehend the suspects who fled in a white 4-door hatchback older model 2000-2007 Subaru Impreza missing a front license plate,” Ferraro said.

About two hours later, an Old Norwalk Road resident told police that burglars had entered his or her residence through an unlocked door, Ferraro said.

Jewelry and other items were taken from both homes, he said.

Police say resident should set alarms, lock doors install security cameras.

“We further ask residents to call the New Canaan Police to report any suspicious activity, persons or vehicles,” Ferraro said.

Some news outlets had incorrectly reported the incidents as home invasions, according to police, gleaning information from scanner traffic instead of confirming with officials.

Any person with information on either burglary (see video above) is asked to contact Officer Patten of the New Canaan Police Investigative Section at 203-594-3520.

Here are some tips that will help you beat the burglar, from New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski:

• Be Wary of Unknown Visitors: Always check the identity of visitors before admitting them to your home. Often unsolicited offers to perform work (chimney repairs, driveway repairs, etc.) are scams or a ruse to commit a crime. Contact our Department via 911 if you see suspicious persons or vehicles.
• Be a Good Neighbor: Get to know your neighbors, watch out for them and report suspicious activity in your neighborhood immediately. Prevention is the best cure.
• Don’t Leave Clues That You’re Away: If you go on vacation never leave clues that you are away. Cancel newspaper deliveries and have someone pick-up your mail or have it held at the post office. Never leave a message on your answering machine telling people you aren’t home. Be careful of postings on social networks like Facebook—burglars monitor these sites to see if you are away.
• Don’t Let Burglars Hide: Keep bushes and trees well-trimmed away from the front of your home especially near doors and windows and along pathways. Hedges provide a hiding place for burglars to work behind.
• Keys: Never leave the keys to your home or car inside a vehicle or in a place where a thief can find them. Keys placed under a doormat, flower pot, mailboxes or other “secret” hiding places may invite a burglary. Burglars know where to look for hidden keys.
• Light Up Your Home: At night, keep the perimeter of your home well lit. Low energy lighting switched on and off by photoelectric sensors (low light switches) is a cost-effective way to discourage burglars.
• Lock Up: Lock all doors and windows when you leave home, day or night, even for a short time. Burglars are opportunists and leaving a door or window open makes it easy for them.
• Mark Valuables: Mark your valuables with a unique identifying number using permanent (visible) or ultra violet (invisible) marker pen. Inventory all valuable and/or unique items. Photographs and video or these items may help with recovery and insurance claims.
• Neighborhood Watch: Work with your neighbors to improve security and reduce the risk of a burglary. Be the eyes and ears of the neighborhood-the most important thing you can do is call our Department to report a crime or anything suspicious.
• Schedule a Security Survey: Contact our Department at 203-594-3512 to schedule a free security survey. A trained police officer will survey your residence or business and will give you tips on how to protect your property.
• Use Your Alarm System: Always activate your alarm system, even when you are at home, and whenever you leave your house—even for a short time. Many successful burglaries that occur in our Town involve houses that have alarm systems that were not activated.