Police See Pattern in Downtown Neighborhood Break-Ins

Captain William McKenna, or the Middletown Police Department says the department is noticing a spike in burglaries, robberies and break-ins in neighborhoods surrounding downtown and Wesleyan.

"We already have an arrest warrant for one individual based on the recovery of a piece of jewelry from a Wesleyan burglary," he said. "But it's probably the work of two or three individuals.

"Last night it was just crazy," he said, about the five break-in calls the department received in the neighborhood. "Most of the houses this individual or individuals broke into were occupied. Usually burglars want to make sure the houses are empty. They'll stake out a house, or knock on the front door to be sure no one is home. For that reason we suspect they were under the influence of narcotics or alcohol that made them careless. We have a few people-of-interest in mind.

"In some cases our dog was able to track these guys from one house, to the next house they had entered," McKenna said.

McKenna said the investigation of these crimes is currently at the top of the department's daily list.

"I'm encouraging the midnight shift to be very vigilant. To make their presence known, and to just pound the area," he said. "And we encourage residents to report even the slightest thing that makes them suspicious. If they have a name, or a lead, or a tip they can call the detective bureau or the front desk number (344-3200).

Sherlock Jr.

I was on the final stretch of my morning walk, heading down Rome Avenue, when I spotted a computer bag and two purses leaning against a utility pole.

I reckoned they were purloined, and had been stripped of their valuables, and were left empty.

I opened the bags looking for a phone number, figuring I could find the owners and return what was left. And though I found a drivers license, and a check book (from separate individuals), I couldn't find a number.

So I called the Middletown Police who promptly responded. Officer Bill Porter asked me if I had looked inside. I told him I had, and he asked if I remembered the names. I didn't, but I did see that both items were from Massachusetts.

"Probably the Wesleyan complaint from last night," he said. He immediately called a colleague to find out if he could locate the owners. After examining the license, he determined it these were items reported missing by two Wesleyan students, who, coincidentally, live right across the street from me.

By the time I finished my walk, Porter was at the house returning the items to the grateful students, and trying to determine what had been stolen.

While there's been some friction between Wesleyan students and Middletown Police in the past, this is an example of the police working hard to be sure stolen items were returned to their rightful owners.