Alert — and upset — “06880” reader Fran Bresnan writes:
My car was broken into yesterday in the Winslow Park parking lot on Compo Road.
I arrived at 1 p.m. Twenty minutes later, when I returned to my car, the passengers window had been smashed. My purse and briefcase were taken from the car.
Apparently, others there at this time said, this happens frequently.
I’d like to warn everyone going there to leave valuables at home. This was not a crime of opportunity. Apparently the same thing happened last week, and others have said “frequently.” Someone knows the drill and is watching the parking lot.
Perhaps some video surveillance or an increased police presence might be a deterrent?
After the car break-in.
This definitely happens frequently. I was there once, over a year ago, and someone did the same thing to a car… stole a woman’s purse! It was after school time. Its crazy that this keeps happening! Surveillance cameras would be a great benefit!
Not a crime of opportunity? That is exactly what this type of crime is. It continues to happen because there’s a veil of ignorance surrounding the residents of this town. People don’t believe that anything will happen to them. Which is why people continue to keep their cars and houses unlocked, keys in their car, and like you, leaving your purse in plain view. It’s common sense, give it a try
Ouch Ray…..kind of a harsh comment, don’t you think? Anyway, what I meant about it not being a “crime of opportunity” is that some random person did not just drive by Winslow park and smash my window….it is someone who does this continually at this location. I will obviously be much more aware now and “use more common sense”.
Exactly! If people didn’t drive and park their cars, then their cars wouldn’t get broken into. If people didn’t leave their homes, they wouldn’t get robbed outside their homes. You can hardly blame the crooks when the victims lack such common sense!
Happens all the time. Ugh
If this happens so frequently, why not get video set up somehow? I’m not familiar with this area, but I’m sure surveillance can be arranged.
Thanks very much for letting us know about this!
Will the dog walkers chip in to pay for the surveillance cameras or the extra Police patrol. There is obviously a major problem in that parking lot and it is very distressing. Extra caution by parkers and maybe an agreed upon solution regarding surveillance by all is needed.
I would think the town would pick up the tab. We’re not talking a huge amount of money.
Or people secure their valuables and lock their cars. Costs 0$ to solve the problem
For now, put up a sign “Property under Electronic Surveillance.” That’d do it.
If the car was NOT locked they would not have needed to SMASH the window. Hello!!!?? They are breaking into LOCKED cars!!! Ray, you do not solve the problem, sorry!
What?!?!
That just Sucks .. Times are Sure Changing these days in our little town .. Now we need to be on guard of items life in our cars , due to something like happening … I feel Very Bad for the owner of the car ………
Surveillance Cameras are a cheap solution and long over due. The town owns the park so it’s on the town to get them installed and of course the police to follow up on break ins
Best not to leave anything that looks valuable on your car seat. Common sense. Theives come here thinking they’ve hit the jackpot. Lock your car & lock your doors.
Never leave a purse, briefcase, electronics or other valueables visible in a car. Even in your own driveway. My parents drilled that home 30 years ago.
Lmao! Surveillance cameras!! This an ongoing problem along the entire east coast. Crisp gangs out of Florida target these areas just for the people who leave their valuables in plain sight. I guess you’d have to watch the news to know that or use common sense to botnwlave valuables where a criminal can see them. Wake up!
Put up 4 surveillance cameras that record video and that save images, on an off site hard drive, for thirty days, and you’ll end the problem, especially if there are signs saying that the property is under surveillance! Trust me, no one one is going to mess with a surveilled parking area unless they’re illiterate and can’t read the posted signs!
Wow, good to know. Wonder if People’s Bank camera surveillance spans the Winslow lot? In any case, the incidents need to be reported to the police.
How about locking your valuables in your trunk? and leave nothing visible in your car.Yes we need a petition to get surveillance cameras pronto I hope our forth coming 842,000 bathrooms at South Beach will have surveillance cameras to dissuade less than proper activities in the bathrooms or will that be an extra expense? Like the reader who wrote in I even lock my car inside the locked garage.When the 👮♀️ came around reminding us to lock our cars in the driveway I got a thumbs up when I said the car is locked inside a locked garage Sad reality of present day society
If a person leaves valuables in plain sight in their car, there’s a pretty good chance that a dishonest person (whether lurking in wait, or just passing by) will take the “opportunity” which has been presented, and they’ll steal those valuables. This really IS just common sense.
Instead of spending everyone’s money putting up surveillance cameras to protect a few people from their own bad choices, how about each of us just stop leaving valuables in our vehicles? Take responsibility for your choices and don’t expect other people to protect you from yourself.
Though not a dog walker at Winslow, I would gladly contribute to a fund for video cameras…..maybe this site could start one.
Check out Cuddelink wifi trail cams so everyone with a log in can see what’s going on. For the cars- cheap little tac cams ($20.) velcro’d inside, are a great idea, and they’ll back up the drivers memory in other instances. Crime will never go away. Get used to it. Prepare for it. Not everyone has cause and effect genes!
If you put your valuables in your trunk do it at home. That way you won’t be seen doing it.
Less chance to have someone break in your trunk. Especially be careful during the holidays at Malls.
Haven’t read all of the comments but it is common knowledge that you should not leave valuables or anything perceiving to contain valuables in plain sight inside of a vehicle. That is just asking for it to be broken into. Put it in the trunk! If you can still see easily into the trunk, then buy a cover or keep a sheet/towel. This should be adhered to when parked in front of your house on the street and even in your own driveway. Don’t invite crime into the town/neighborhoods!
This happened to me several years ago, not in Westport, although I use to live there. It was in the small peaceful town of Benicia (about 30 miles north of San Francisco), I had parked my car on a residential street, and gone walking in Benicia State Park, it was in the middle of the day. When I got back from a lovely walk, my back window had been smashed and my briefcase was missing from the back seat. I often left it in my car, because I had lots of heavy papers in there (I was selling Long term care insurance for several companies). Anyway the briefcase was not one of the real expensive once, and all the thieves got was a lot of insurance material (brochures, applications etc.) I kind of got a kick out of imagine their disappointment when they found out there was no credit cards, cash, social security number etc. Never the less it is a nuisance since you have to replace the window, and in my case my briefcase and insurance stuff, but it’s worse when they get your drivers license, cash, credit cards. etc.
Ah, beautiful Benicia, named after General Vallejo’s wife. Just drove through a few months ago. Charming place right on the Bay!
We need video surveillance
I agree
We all need to mention to the police
Cameras have gotten so incredibly cheap these days that you would think even just one incident would spur their use. Yes, we also have a problem with people leaving valuables in plan view and not locking their doors as well.
Mr. Finkle,
I find your comments to be exceptionally valid. Plain and simple. Crime itself is based on opportunity. As is an exposed pocketbook in a parked vehicle with the keys in the ignition still; yet the “shocked” citizen who scratches their head in disbelief as to how on earth this “opportunity” happened to them.