Police searching for grocery store burglars Greenwich Time
Join the conversation or just read all 49 comments » Observer says..... These major commercial thefts make the paper. We are hearing privately that there are numerous residential break-ins that never become public knowledge. Two points: 1) The police department must publicize all residential break-ins so we can appreciate the danger and take steps to protect ourselves and our neighbors. 2) Time to install video cameras to view public spaces in Town. Fed up taxpayer says.... Yeah, and they said crime was down in town. I don't think so. I've got cameras up on my house, not taking chances. ..... Dan says.... My prediction - the Riverside one will be solved but not the jewelery heist. Also, it is not up to the police to "publicize" anything. It's the job of the press, which as full access to police activities via the freedom of information act. If anything is being white washed (and I'm not saying it is), it would fall on the media and not the police. andiesroonie says.... where are we with the Margolies murder case? Can anyone in the GPD explain? Thank you in advance Republicano says ..... 1.) The Police do not "publicize" anything. The media (newspapers) are given the opportunity to review the incidents that are FOIable...it is up to THEM to publicize the information. The last time I looked, there were no printing presses in the basement of HQ. 2.)No, the Police Dept. should NOT give out all of their information for on-going investigations to the public. They SHOULD NOT share all of the confidential facts regarding the incident as it may hurt the investigation. All of the small details that could make or break a criminal case are NOT your buisness. AND, the Town of Greenwich has a unit called Community Impact Officers. They are Officers who, among other things, meet with nieghborhood reps and citizens and advise them of crimes occurring in their nieghborhoods and how to avoid being a victim. This unit, previously called Nieghborhood Resource Officers, has been around for several years doing this. Assuming you are an adult, you should already know how to better protect your property...lock your doors, alarm systems, stop mail delivery when away, ask nieghbors to watch your home when away, etc. These are basic things that require little thought.What you are now doing here is basically BLAMING the Police for the crimes. Greenwich is a very safe place to live considering its wedged between Stamford and Port Chester and has the biggest drug trafficking avenue (I-95) in the US running right through it. Stop blaming the Cops and take some responsibilty for your own safety. Would you blame the Fire Department if you had faulty wiring and you're house burned to the ground? Would you blame the Ambulance service if you ate a high fat diet your whole life and had a heart attack? former res (Broomall, PA) says ..... Does the GPD release the fact that there were burglaries, car thefts, vandalism etc in certain neighborhoods?(Without giving details?) Around here, the paper publishes the addresses of all such crimes - ASAP. I like to know what's going on in my my neighborhood. I don't need details - just the fact that it happened. And where and when. republicano says ..... Of course they do. The procedure is...the report is taken by responding patrol officers, then the Detectives do their report detailing their initial investigation...then they submit follow up reports as the investigation progresses. Normally, the next buisness day after the major crime/investigation, the media, in this case, the Greenwich Times, come into HQ, sit down and review the initial reports.(GPD also has a POI, Public Information Officer that acts as a liaison between the PD and the media) If the investigation is on-going, juveniles are involved or there is sensitive information that could jeopardize the investigation, this information may be omitted. former res (Broomall, PA ) says ...... Isn't EVERY case that is fresh and unsolved considered "ongoing?" I would think so. I still see a difference between here and there. Here, if a house is broken into, a car is stolen etc - we hear about it right away. There, if I read your response correctly, the police will withhold that information - as it is an ongoing investigation (not yet solved). Because it just happened. The Police Blotter in the Greenwich Time seems to include only solved crimes (with names of the actors)- unless I'm mistaken. I'd want to know about ALL crime in my neighborhood, in a timely way.(Which would mean BEFORE the cases are solved.) Republicano says ..... Fresh?..yes, It is considered on-going...unless it is a non-violent "minor" offense. Sometimes in that case, the investigation may be "shelved" (not closed) in favor of higher priority Investigations. There are so many factors that a lay person does not know about regarding criminal investigations. Lets say for example a town has a rash of robberies in which the bad guys are known to use cell phones during its commision. The Police department may not want that information published, because this would be an excellent way for the Police to identify the perps. Bad guys read the papers too, so what will they do? Forgo the phone use next time they do it. Thats just one example of certain types of information that the public should not be privleged to. I understand that residents want to know whats going on around them...I'm a home owner also and I keep up on happenings in my area. The public SHOULD know that burglaries are occurring, not only so they can take precautions to safeguard their homes, but the added vigilance can deter crime and aid the Police. It's many of the details that should be kept under wraps. former res (Broomall, PA ) says ...... I agree. And as a homeowner I don't care if the thieves are using cell phones. I just want to know if homes in my neighborhood are being hit. Or if cars are being vandalized or stolen. Does the GPD release this information immediately to the media regardless of whether the case is solved? This is what I'm getting at, because I don't recall seeing this type of information in the GT. Only solved crimes. In my area we know about property crime going on in the area - solved or not. I would think the GT would publish the information if it were available to them. And also that the public would want to know in a timely manner - about crimes in their neighborhoods - solved or otherwise. It may be in the print verson, but I don't recall ever seeing it. | 
