Rash of burglaries scares south Merrick

Police reported six burglaries in south Merrick from last Friday to Monday, including one that resulted in a helicopter and canine search.

On Monday, a would-be burglar was stopped by a barking dog after he kicked in the front door of a Frankel Boulevard home, police said. When the homeowner heard the commotion, she reportedly alerted police that she saw a man dressed in dark clothing in her backyard, which resulted in a helicopter and canine search of the neighborhood that failed to locate a suspect.

On Sunday, the side door of a Clubhouse Road home was pried open and a 50-inch flat-screen TV was taken, only to be to discovered in the backyard, police said.

Last Friday, three other Clubhouse Road homes and one John Street home were targeted by burglars, police said. Jewelry was taken from two Clubhouse Road residences after a front window was broken, and jewelry was also taken from the John Street residence, where a burglar used a second-floor window to enter the house, police said. At a third Clubhouse Road home, police reported that a rear basement window was broken but nothing was taken, and they classified the incident as an attempted burglary.

"The community must come together," said Joe Baker, South Merrick Community Civic Association president. "We're going to have a meeting on Feb. 23 where police will answer any questions about recent burglaries in the neighborhood." Baker strongly encourages residents to take part in the Neighborhood Watch program.

To learn more about Neighborhood Watch and the South Merrick Civic Association, go to www.southmerrickcivic.org.

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