Series Of Recent Roosevelt Island Burglaries At Roosevelt Landings - Residents At Home In Several Incidents, Double Lock Your Apartment Door Says RIOC Public Safety Director

Image Of Credit Card Used To Open Door From Paxton Locksmithing (For Illustrative Purposes Only)

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Public Safety Director Jack McManus sends the following message to the community:

A series of burglaries have occurred at the Roosevelt Landings over the past several weeks. There are no indications that forced entry was used to enter these apartments.

Instead, entry appears to have been made by compromising apartment doors that were not double-locked. In several of these incidents, residents were at home while the Burglary occurred.

The suspect(s) have removed property that can be easily carried such as Laptops, Pocketbooks and Purses.

Thankfully, there were no injuries to any residents during the course of these crimes. We cannot overemphasize the importance of double-locking your door upon exiting or entering your apartment.

Additionally, the Public Safety Department has created a document entitled "Crime Prevention Tips For Our Island Residents". The information included in this document is time-tested by Law Enforcement Agencies, and deemed to be quite helpful. Copies are available at the Public Safety Department (PSD). Please take the time to read this document.

The Public Safety Department along with our NYPD partners are working diligently to locate those responsible for these crimes and to help prevent future occurrences. Please call the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department at (212)832-4545 if you have any questions.

The RIOC January 2014 Public Safety Blotter shows these 3 Roosevelt Landings burglaries:

• 1/7/14 540 Main Street - Resident reported items were missing from his apt. NYPD on site took report. No sign of forced entry, search made for subj/property with neg results. Bldg. Management to change door locks.
• 1/16/14 - 540 Main Street - Resident reported items were missing from his apt. NYPD to investigate; no sign of forced entry
• 1/18/14 - 540 Main Street - Resident reported a laptop was missing from the apt. NYPD responded and filed report; no signs of forced entry.

and December 2013 RIOC Public Safety Blotter shows another 2 burglaries at Roosevelt Landings.

• 12/9/13 - 540 Main Street - Tenant stated she found her door open and her 2 laptops missing. No signs of forced entry; NYPD notified and filed report.
• 12/17/13 - 546 Main Street - Resident reports that she stepped out to throw trash and that upon her return her book bag was missing, Search made with neg results; report filed with NYPD

Also, reported last July that there were a series of burglaries at Manhattan Park.

The RIOC Public Safety Department has these Crime Prevention Tips to follow for your safety:

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT

Crime Prevention tips for our island residents:

1. Keep front doors, patio doors and windows locked. If you have a patio, Burglar-proof your glass patio doors by setting a pipe or metal bar in the middle bottom track of the door slide. The pipe should be the same length as the track.

2. Have your key ready before you approach your apartment door. Don't leave extra keys under doormats, potted plants or any other obvious outdoor location. Burglars will generally find them. Find an inconspicuous place to hide the keys, or give a set to a neighbor you can trust

3. Store cash, jewelry and other valuables in a safe or safety deposit box instead of leaving them lying around the home.

4. Do not leave notes on the door for service people or family members when you are not there. These alert the burglar that you are not home.

5. Be sure to use a dead bolt lock on your doors.

6. Look through your door peep hole before answering the door.

7. Use the door chain when answering and before opening the door.

8. Be sure your apartment door is dead bolt locked before retiring for the night or leaving your apartment.

9. Do not open the door for strangers until you have established their identity and purpose.

10. If you cannot establish their identity, call the PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT at (212) 832- 4545. We are open 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

11. Report any suspicious persons loitering or soliciting to the PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT.

12. Be aware of your surroundings.

13. Lock your door immediately upon entering your apartment.

14. Be sure the entrance outside your apartment door is well lit.

15. If you feel unsafe during late hours, call the PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT and we will walk you to your residence.

LET’S KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE!
John B. McManus, Director

Joyce Short, the head of the Roosevelt Landings Tenants Association, commented on building security issues at this previous post last week on arrests inside the building for criminal possession of a gun:

As the Head of the Roosevelt Landings Residents Association, I'd like to voice my opinion on this issue.....

Roosevelt Landings is the only building on Roosevelt Island that does not have doormen or someone specifically on-site to deal with security issues in the building. When the Island was fashioned, the Public Safety Department was assigned that task, and our building's management pays a high price tag for that ongoing support.

We have 49 doors leading to our building. And because of our very quirky layout, nefarious access through any one puts residents at risk. Unfortunately, we have residents who live in our midst, who consistently disable the locks so they can come and go as they please, infringing on the safety of their neighbors. No one should tamper with locks for their amusement of selfish access.

People who live in other buildings are guarded from erroneous entry, where Roosevelt Landing's folks are not. Therefore, it is imperative that Roosevelt Landings have the protection of the District Attorney's Trespass program to deter offenders. And I believe Director McManus has instilled a proper approach to dealing with those issues in the men and women on his force.

Children loitering in hallways should be asked to "go home," not get arrested. People who are waiting at the doorway for their buddy to arrive should be escorted out of the building, not handcuffed and thrown into a cell.

People who demonstrate harmful intent should be dealt with in a manner befitting the danger they present.

A public safety officer should never have to put their life at risk by confronting a person with a weapon. That is the job for the police force, which, I believe is grossly under served in this community. When a problem involving a gun, knife, or other weapon comes up, resolution is urgent, and Public Safety Officers put themselves on the line to handle the situation. They should not have to do so.

Instead, we should have at least two permanent booths for police officers on Roosevelt Island. Our volume of population warrants at least that amount. It is unconscionable, and the failing of the City of New York, that this protection is not available to us.

I have been told that the criminal possession of weapon charges have been dismissed but am waiting for confirmation from the District Attorney's office.

Don't forget that tomorrow, February 24 is the Roosevelt Island Criminal Justice/Public Safety Town Hall meeting sponsored by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance and NY State Senator Jose Serrano. You're invited.

UPDATE 2/24- The RIOC Public Safety Report noted these burglary incidents this past weekend.

• 2/22/14 - 0100 - 531 Main St - Pass Burglary - PSD & NYPD responded - Report filed.
• 02/22/14 - 1100 - 510 Main St. - Burglary - PSD and NYPD reports filed.

UPDATE 2/26 - According to a Manhattan District Attorney's Office representative, the weapons charge was dismissed. The weapon was a BB gun. A charge of marijuana possession remains.

UPDATE 2/27 - 2 more burglaries reported at Roosevelt Landings this week:

• 02/26/14- 1044 - 510 Main St - Burglary - PSD responded. Referred to NYPD.
• 02/25/14 - 1644 - 560 Main St - Burglary - Referred to NYPD.

UPDATE 3/11 - Another incident:

• 03/08/14 - 1146 - 510 Main St - Attempted Burglary - PSD Responded

and another:

• 03/10/14 - 1240 - 536 Main St - Burglary - PSD & NYPD responded - Report filed.