Passaic, NJ – A cat burglar who has crept into about 10 city homes while people slept has sparked a neighborhood watch group and set off a police investigation into whether the incidents are related to similar break-ins in Clifton, police said.
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Someone has broken into 10 homes in the 3rd Ward and in the northwest part of the city since April 13, said Detective Andy White. Purses, wallets and laptop computers were taken in the burglaries, which occurred at night or during early-morning hours, sometimes two and three per night, White said.
The last two occurred on Idaho Street either on Saturday night or early Sunday.
White said intruders have entered through windows and unlocked doors in the Passaic burglaries.
The break-ins are similar to four in Clifton that have occurred since April 15, and detectives are looking into whether they could have been committed by the same person. About 18 break-ins, including the cat burglaries, have occurred since mid-April. Police have stepped up patrols to address both, White said.
No one has been hurt.
The rash of burglaries has instilled fear in the Jewish community in Passaic’s 3rd Ward, sparking a neighborhood watch, said George Matyjewicz. He has been e-mailing community members to warn people to lock their doors and windows and to abate rumors that have been flying.
“The big concern is at what point does it become violent?” he said. “There’s young children in some cases. There are single women, so it is scary.”
Matyjewicz said victims have contacted him and that he’s tallied 14 cat burglaries since March.
One woman was sleeping on the couch in her home when a burglar entered and took a laptop and cash from her purse. The woman remained on the couch until she was alone.
“She did not get up, and when they left she started screaming,” Matyjewicz said.
He has been sending out e-mail blasts that have been posted on a blog.
Joshua Schwager of Passaic, acknowledging that police officers can’t be everywhere at once, said he is starting a neighborhood watch in the area.
“Any police department is not going to spend all day trying to find every little thing,” Schwager said. “It’s an extension of the eyes and ears of the police department.”
Schwager said the burglaries require an active response.
City Council President Gary Schaer said the Passaic Police Department promised to increase patrols in the area that has been targeted.
“I think human reaction is to be scared,” Schaer said. “Burglaries are invasive. My house was burglarized 25 years ago when we first moved into town. Some of those that have taken place are frightening.”
Police in Clifton also are searching for a man who they believe has broken into four homes since April 15, startling the homeowner in the latest incident, authorities said.
The man tried to sneak into a house on Madison Avenue just before 2 a.m. Thursday. The homeowner, a 45-year-old woman, was asleep on the couch, and scared away the burglar by screaming when she saw him halfway through her window, police said.
Police urge residents to make sure their windows and doors are locked and to turn on their alarm systems. Investigators also ask victims not to confront a burglar.
Sounds like it’s time for the start of the Clifton/Passaic Shomrim. With community and police cooperation you will be amazed at how quickly this criminal will be caught.
As usual the “frum” Passaic community leaders are doing nothing.
The police are harassing the frum people who call them, instead of looking for the criminals.
This is a serious problem. So serious, in fact, (according to rumors) that the PD may reduce by a full 10% the man-power devoted to catching mini-van driving car-pool moms who dare break the unposted speed limit on Broadway and use the man-power to deal with this matter.
That is, if Gary can stop yapping long enough to actually get something done.
People that live alone or don’t have children in the house should go and register with the state for the “smith and wesson” protection system.
Criminals would think twice if theyt knew they might encounter a bullet.
There are currently three separate groups working on starting a patrol in Passaic!
This whole fuss started when one group found out another group was working on a patrol. The second group started hyping the burglaries in order to start a scare so they can start their own patrol. The amount of burglaries are nothing new or unusual, it’s only that they are now being hyped.
Then a third group who decided they can’t work with either group is also planning to start a patrol.
I sense a machlokes coming up that will be even worse than the Hatzolah and Bikur Cholim machlokisin!
Can you imagine? The two patrols in Crown Heights are fighting each other instead of crime. Imagine what the fights will be like in Passaic with three patrols!
The important thing is that Gary gets to keep both his government jobs besides his regular full time job. If the citizens of Passaic have to live in fear of burglers at night and the PD during the day, that’s OK. So long as Gary gets to collect his checks, make stupid announcements and mail out his ego-boosting fliers we don’t mind.
Keep it up Gary, keep renewing the contracts of the municipal ‘court’ ‘judges’ who threaten to suspend the license of anyone who dares insist on a trial for a traffic ticket instead of paying thru the nose for a plea bargin.
Keep running as the chain smoking, hard drinking representative of the frum community and keep threatening anyone who dares to run against you. We’ll keep taking it. We’re suckers.
I called the police for a suspicios person and instead of looking for him they kept asking why I called, and that we can’t keep calling.
Some one called tonight at 1050 pm from 4.. Brook ave of a suspicous car looking into houses. The individual even gave them the plate and they advised the person there’s nothing illegal about that. This is the problem the police don’t care to prevent the crimes, when we start voting in new leadership we will start getting the police to care!
Its about time the police spend time and effort in the areas that pay taxes. Why should all the illegals that don’t contribute to the tax base get police presence.there is a police officer on everyother block down broadway, thenb down main at around 3 when schools get out. Maybe the PD can reassign one of the 3 police officers stationes outside each school for the entire school day? Who is paying for all that? Downtown passaic, or passaic park?
Buy a dog
Be careful on shavuos
It could be worse. Remember the developmentally disabled guy who a cop beat the daylights out of on a street corner? And his partner who filed a worker’s comp claim that the guy had struck her? And the video that proved she stood there and watched the whole thing from 10 yards away?
The police should take the same diligence and “hishtadlus” they put into harassing regular residents on Brook Ave (as one example) giving out ridiculous moving violations and put it into opening their eyes to the crime wave that has come here. This should embarrass the Passaic police department and the local frum members WE put on the board who seem to be powerless against such pettiness. All of a sudden, regular balei batim have become reckless drivers? That’s why we need our own shomrim. We are on our own.
Good old Passaic, the machlokes capital of the frum world!
Regarding the volunteer patrol, there had been one in Passaic that operated for many years in cooperation with the police dept. On one’s assigned night, one would pick up an illuminated, roof-top sign for the car and a walkie-talkie from the community coordinator and then check in with the patrolling officer at the start and end of one’s shift. There were typically two or three cars with a specific area to patrol operating on a given shift.
For our own safety, we weren’t authorized to do anything but report “suspicious” activity to the patrolling officer, who would then conduct his own investigation before any action could authorized.
The patrols were disbanded, I think, for lack of an adequate pool of volunteers (if I remember correctly, one had to commit to a 2-hour shift once every two weeks). Let’s hope this time around more people will want to participate.
Leaders beware, our city’s tide is turning. We are no longer willing to be lambs to the slaughter because you want us to be.
These breakins are nothing new in Passaic, they have been going on for years, not to mention assaults.
3 Competing Passaic Patrols? Says: ? Where exactly do you get these “facts”?
If anything people are fighting not to be in charge of Shomrim
What we have is someone who stood up to the plate because no one else wanted to.
We all know who has been posting as Anonymous bashing Gary, all it takes is a little google / Youtube search and you can see for yourself and pity the individual looking for the destruction of Gary. my crocidile tears are coming……….wait…………..Here it comes. The only machlokes is coming from a desperate person, who has an ax to grind when he doesn’t get his way!
Keep a loaded firearm in your home (safe from the kids). It takes about a month to receive home/target shooting license in NJ. Jews being unarmed and unwilling to fight is the reason Jews are considered easy target by criminals.
We had a major property issue that involved the city and county some time ago. It was Chaim Munk who stepped forward to help navigate all the red tape. Gary did not return our phone calls.
While we’re at it, maybe the city could replace all the missing street signs? Esp. on Main south of Van Houten.
We first need our Rabbonim to have more unity and openly address the issues in our community.
What is there for them to address about burglaries???
That they are opposed to burglaries? That they are assur mede’oraisa?
So, did the 45 year old woman have a description of the burglar?
I noticed a fellow in a car, jotting down notes in front of my house in Passaic Park. When I inquired as to what he was doing, he replied that he had made a delivery next door – then promptly drove away. Fishy.
I have a hard time believing ‘the wind of change’ is anything more than the council speaker blowing hot air.
I’ll believe it when I see a semblance of law in the municipal ‘courts’ run by ‘judges’ who can be replaced by the city council if it were interested in doing so.
I’ll believe it when I see speed limit signs on the Passaic section of Broadway.
I’ll believe it when I see ‘Child at play area’ signs instead of hidden radar gun$.
I’ll believe it when I see a real effort to slow traffic in (a supposedly) high risk area by the western border of the park instead of money-generating radar traps.
Last I heard. Shomrim was not allowed. Is it really up and running? Or was it told not to operate.?
As a new resident of Passaic I do not know the political games unique to a community so populated by Jewish presence. However, I am not new to or ignorant of the “system” in general set in place to protect of law-abiding citizens. Yes! Despite what you may have been hearing these past weeks in town-hall meetings or on the streets – the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the NJ State Penal Code was not written exclusively for the criminal. Start asking questions and do not stop until you get a clear direct answer.
Demand a profile of these burglaries! (time of day or night, probable weapon, forced entry, age, race, etc.)
Citizens should not “patrol” the streets at night, leaving their homes vulnerable to criminals inflicting terror on our community. Options? It’s time for us to take a very close look at our state laws, their enforcement and punishment as set out in print – not what is at the discretion of the boys who have the most marbles in the game. This is our basic right as citizens of this country. The police department works for the public. The officers are hired by appointed personnel of elected officials. Most important question you can ask: Are they doing their job?