The Darien Police Department has responded to four residential burglaries in August ,five residential burglaries in September, and one in October. There is no pattern to locations in Darien. Incidents in Beat 1 included the 1900 block of 72nd, the 7100 block of Exner, the 1100 block of Foxtail Ct, and the 400 block of 70th. Incidents in Beat 2 included the 3400 block of Gilbert, the 3300 block of Brewer, the 8900 block of Tara Hill, and the 1600 block of Old Oaks. In Beat 3, incidents were reported in the 7700 block of Stratford, and the 1300 block of Marco Ct.

The incidents range in times from late morning to early afternoon, and late evening with a majority of the reports occurring after 4:00p.m. Residents were home in two of the ruse burglaries. One incident was an attempt burglary, however the offender(s) fled after the home alarm activated; no entry was gained. Garage doors were left open in two cases. Forced entry was reported in six cases. An offender has been identified in one burglary, and is not related to any of the other burglaries. Charges are pending in that incident.

We would encourage residents to follow good security practices including making sure doors and windows are locked before leaving, adding timers to interior lights that can be set to turn on as evening lighting diminishes, and leaving exterior porch and garage lights on to deter potential criminals. Do not open your door to strangers. Be in the habit of locking your storm door. If you need to open your front door to talk, the locked storm door will add a layer of protection.

The Darien Police would also encourage residents to dial 911 if they notice anything suspicious in your neighborhood. This can include vehicles that do not look familiar to the neighborhood or suspicious people walking around. Ruse burglaries typically target elderly residents. The offender will knock on the victims door and identify themselves as a utility worker, a landscaper, a new resident to the neighborhood, or possibly a construction worker. The offender will give some story of needing to get the homeowner outside, to a room away from the front door, or to the basement. Once the offender has distracted the homeowner, a second offender will enter the home and steal money or jewelry. The offenders will park their vehicle close to the garage to obstruct view of license plate or description of vehicle.

These are the types of suspicious activity that the Darien Police Department would want to receive immediate notice on.

We are encouraging residents to talk with their neighbors to pass on this information. Some residents may not access the Darien cable channel, Internet for online news, or read newspapers.

Residents can access police incidents and crime mapping through RaidsOnline at http://www.raidsonline.com.

With Regards,

Police Chief Ernest Brown