Crime & Safety

Vigilance is Key to Curbing Crime in Wyckoff, Officials Say

Friday morning crime summit addressed burglaries, car thefts and recent scams

Wyckoff Police and township officials sat face to face with residents Friday morning to give them the scoop on how they might be able to curb a recent spate of .

Following another , officials arranged the crime prevention forum last Monday.

"I can't believe there are still people in this town leaving their keys in their unlocked cars, I absolutely can't believe it," Police Chief Benjamin Fox said. "I guess I could take a page out of the governor's playbook and say that anyone who does that is an idiot, but I'm not going to say that." 

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Following car thefts in recent months, Fox  to petition residents to simply lock their cars.

"There's not a single car theft or [recent larceny] where the window was broken open," Fox said.

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He said thieves are walking up driveways, pulling door handles and just moving on if the car is locked.

To minimize the chance that vehicles would be targeted, officials said:

  • Lock all doors and windows.
  • Don't leave keys in the vehicle.
  • Don't leave valuables in plain view. 

But most troubling, both Fox and Committeeman Kevin Rooney said Friday, is the thought of what might happen should a Wyckoff resident encounter one of the thieves in the process of committing a crime.

"I'm very, very concerned that while what's going on now are crimes of property... that some of this is could turn into a crime of violence," Fox said.

If You See Something, Say Something 

Despite the idyllic perceptions some may have of Wyckoff, Fox said, the township obviously isn't immune to crime, and keeping the citizenry informed helps his staff do their job better.

For that reason it's imperative that residents make use of the Wyckoff Police Department's non-emergency line at 201-891-2121.

"If you see anything suspicious call us," Fox told the gathered crowd of about 100 people. "Let us decide whether it's important or not; my office would rather check 500 things that are absolutely nothing than the one time you don't call us and we find out it was something."

"If you see something that looks out of the ordinary call the police," Committeeman Rooney said. "They're here for you."

Rooney serves as the committee's liaison to the Wyckoff Police Department this year. 

Tips to Minimize Burglaries

The police chief said that burglars typically drive through neighborhoods in pairs, looking for a house that looks empty. When they find the ideal home, Fox said, the driver will drop off the burglar out front and then drive off and wait out of sight.

"What they typically do is ring the doorbell... because they need to ascertain whether or not somebody's home," Fox said.

If you're home and answer the door, the would-be burglar is likely to ask a random question as a diversion and then move on to look for an empty home, Fox said.

"Call us about that because if that's a burglar, he's gotta walk away and call his wheel guy to pick him up or he may just simply go to the house next door if it looks like it's vacant," he said.

Equipping your home with an alarm system was just one of the tips Fox and Wyckoff Detective Sgt. Joseph Soto offered the public. 

Having an alarms "absolutely, unequivocally minimizes your losses." Fox said. "[Burglars] are going to go in, rush to the master bedroom and scoop up as much as they can... and then flee with whatever they get on your dresser in the master bedroom."

Some other tips included:

  • Give the appearance that your house is occupied when you are away. 
  • Interior and exterior lights should be on timers that mimic normal occupancy hours.
  • Have a friend or neighbor take in your newspaper, mail and garbage cans.
  • Cancel newspaper or mail delivery if no one is available to retrieve it.
  • Do not leave valuables in plain sight through windows.
  • Install exterior perimeter motion lights.
  • Install alarm with cellular back up and external audible siren. 
  • Advise teenage children to not advertise to their friends that the family is going away or give permission for friends to use the house while you're away.
  • Do not advertise vacations or post your current location on social media.
  • If no vehicles are to be left home, ask a neighbor to periodically park in your driveway.
  • Lock all doors and windows including basement and second floor windows.
  • Be aware who your neighbors are — talk to them and help them.
  • Put jewelry and valuables of sentimental value in a safety deposit box — do not leave them in your bedroom. Burglars look in master bedrooms first for jewelry and cash.

"If It's Too Good to Be True..."

Beyond the recently publicized crimes targeting Wyckoff residents, some have fallen victim to a number of scams, detectives said. 

"We still have people in Wyckoff being scammed out of money," Soto said. "Once you transfer money to somebody, there's nothing we can do to get your money back."

Soto and Detective Sgt. Michael Musto gave the following advice:

  • Internet sites like eBay and Craigslist continue to be big venues for scams. Be wary of scams in which individuals offer you more money than you've asked for an item. 
  • Beware phone calls from individuals pretending to be relatives in dire need of money for medical treatment. Don't send the cash, call the relative in question yourself. 
  • During income tax season tax return scams are prevalent. Watch out for communiques from the IRS that doesn't look familiar — someone may have stolen your identity.
  • Be wary of home contractors soliciting their services. Check their reputation before giving them your business.
  • If someone calls and says they're from your personal bank, never give out personal information. Call the bank yourself to ensure you're dealing with a legitimate agent of that institution. 

"The bottom line of this whole thing about scams," Soto said. "If it seems to good to be true, it is — no one's going to give you something for nothing."

Throughout the Friday morning event the one point Committeeman Rooney and Chief Fox, along with the rest of the Wyckoff Police Department, continued to reiterate was that residents who observe suspicious activity and report it to the police could help curb crime here.  

"Let's make the town as safe as we can," Fox said.


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