Wyckoff Home Burglarized, Unlocked Door Likely Helped Thieves

Police believe an unlocked door at one Wyckoff residence may have helped make the home an easy target for burglars last weekend.

A Circle Drive resident Tuesday returned home from three days away to find her house had been burglarized while she was gone — jewelry, designer handbags and gift cards were stolen from a second floor bedroom, said Thursday.

The woman called the cops after discovering that the goods were missing.

The police investigation revealed that there was no forced entry at the home, but homeowners said that a rear door of the home is often left unlocked.

Wyckoff Police Chief Benjamin Fox said Thursday that he's running out of ways to tell residents to lock their doors.

"I'm at the point that I just shake my head and say to myself — I don't get it," Fox said. "It's foolish, it's potentially dangerous, and can more easily make you the victim of a crime."  

The Circle Drive burglary comes on the heels of at least two incidents in nearby Franklin Lakes where thieves targeted residents who left their cars unlocked.

A $1,200 laptop was parked in one King Road driveway Tuesday, and another had hundreds of dollars worth of goods lifted from her unlocked car on Sunday.

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