Thieves Targeting Unlocked Cars, Local Residences During Holidays

The holiday season is usually a time of giving and charity, but for some crooks in the area it's been open season on what doesn't belong to them. 

Three Franklin Lakes residents reported that items had been stolen from their cars overnight on Wednesday.

GPS units, iPods and a cell phone were stolen from unlocked cars on Terrace Road, Crescent Drive and Briarwoods Road during the night. Police did not give the exact locations of the crimes, but Terrace Road and Crescent Drive intersect in two places and Briarwoods Road is a short walk away, on the opposite side of Colonial Road.

A representative was not immediately available for comment.

Chief Benjamin Fox told Patch that there is usually an increase in burglaries of homes during the holiday season. Both police departments have been warning residents to lock their cars since occured in the area over the summer.

Fox said that residents should use timers to make their homes appear occupied when away for any extended period of time.

"Basically you want your home to look like every house on the street depending on the time of day," Fox said. "We see some houses in the middle of the night all lit up because the owners simply turn on lights and leave them on while they are away."

Fox also recommended stopping newspaper and mail delivery while on vacation, or asking neighbors to drop by to collect them.

It's not only residents with homes and vehicles, who have to be on the look out, a pair of local businesses were also targeted recently.

approximately $900 and several video game systems from the Franklin Lakes  earlier this month.

Somebody also stole $10,000 from an unlocked safe at last month, according to a report from Wyckoff Police. The theft reportedly took place during the business day.

Blue Moon owner Howard Felixbrod did not return multiple calls for comment over the past several weeks.

Fox added that although there is not typically an increase in reported thefts from businesses during the holidays, there may be thefts that are not reported.

"I'm sure undetected shoplifting is increased," Fox said.

According to the 2010 Uniform Crime Report, nonviolent crime in Wyckoff dropped from from 101 incidents in 2009 to 94 last year and from 88 to 73 in Franklin Lakes. Data for 2011 is not yet available.