Do we now live in a high-crime area? This is the perception many people are getting after a string of daytime and nighttime burglaries and hold-ups have plagued our neighborhoods. Not only were valuable possessions lost, all of us, and in particular the victims of the break-ins and muggings, are left feeling vulnerable and violated.
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Michelle and Alan* are still traumatized after what they found following their return home from a mini-vacation. Their door had been kicked in and was ajar. “I was in total shock, and we are still pretty traumatized by it,” Michelle said. They found the door kicked in and the house ransacked, with many things taken. There had been no cars in their driveway for 24 hours, but they usually have their house alarm on. On that day, it seems the babysitter may not have set the alarm correctly when leaving to take the kids to school. Their home was one of several in their neighborhood that have been broken into within a few short weeks.
“We actually did not want to let the younger kids know, but they began noticing that things were missing, some things that I had not even noticed myself, so we did have to tell them.” Michelle downplayed it with the kids, so they would be less afraid. Among the stolen items were the children’s warm boots! The kids are still scared to be at home if there is no car in the driveway.
Michelle said she appreciates that a police officer came on another day and spent an hour with them, doing a walk-through and giving them additional suggestions on how to safeguard their house, in addition to their alarm system.
She also has praise for her handyman. “Betzalel Huff, was amazing. Although he was busy with other things, he put everything on hold to rush over to us right away. He showed up within a half-hour to fix the door with a double bolt so that we could sleep in the house that night.” He came before the children returned home in order to prevent them from noticing the damage and to bring Michelle peace of mind.
“The material things can be replaced,” says Michelle, “but our family has not yet regained our sense of security. That has been the most difficult part of the experience.”
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Karen Beleck saw first-hand how quickly people up to no-good can act. A woman came into her house to exchange information about a business matter. The woman had been out sick for a few days and was on her first day back to work, although she was not feeling up to par and apparently not thinking clearly. That’s probably why she left her car keys in the car as she approached Karen’s porch. Because of the cold, she stepped inside for about three minutes. This did not deter a thief from entering the car and driving off during that very short window of opportunity.
An African-American neighbor who happened to be sitting 15 feet from the car witnessed the theft but didn’t realize what had happened. He saw a tall thin African-American woman get out of the car and enter Karen’s house. He then saw a tall African-American person get back into the car. “Where’s that woman going in such a hurry?” he wondered as the car peeled away from the curb, not realizing it was a different person. That same day several cars had been stolen from the area, and it appears the thieves were on the look-out for more. Of course, most people are aware, as was the victim, that keys should not be left in a car. But who would think that it would be noticed so fast on a quiet street by some would-be thief?
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Chana* did not realize that her home had been invaded until she went out to buy her morning coffee before work. When she opened her purse to pay, she found her wallet empty. Panicking, she hurried back home thinking perhaps the money had fallen out. There had been a considerable sum in the wallet, because she had cashed some checks the night before.
At home, the money was nowhere to be found. Worried and perplexed, she said a prayer for lost objects and went to put some money in a tzedaka box. She discovered that to be missing as well. It had been filled with bills and coins. Another tzedaka box, containing at least $75 was also gone. At that point it became clear she had been robbed during the night, which happened to be December 24.
Adding insult to injury, Chana was especially upset when a police officer came to her house that day and kept suggesting that someone in her household or in her playgroup of three-year-olds had taken the money. He also suggested that perhaps her assistant was the culprit. The officer would not walk around to look at anything. Chana finally walked through the house by herself, while the officer stayed in her living room, and discovered that a basement window was unlocked and open. The crime scene technician was then called in. Chana praises him as being extremely professional and pleasant. Chana’s house does have an alarm system, but she had neglected to turn it on before going to bed that night.
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Beth* Rosen’s husband, Elliot* became a victim of a different type of frightening crime. When Elliot pulled into his driveway late at night, two men appeared at either side of the car, opened his door, and held a gun to his head. They had apparently been hiding in a darkened area and were ready for him when he pulled up. They demanded his money, cell phone, and credit cards. They also asked for his ATM pin number. They said they were part of a gang and would be back if he gave them the wrong pin number.
The Rosens called 911 and Shomrim. They were very impressed with the 10 Shomrim guys, who arrived first. They immediately fanned out to check many of the ATMs in their area. The police later brought their car in for evidence processing. Shomrim made several recommendations on ways to increase security, including adding more lighting. The Rosens will also be upgrading their home alarm system, even though the robbery took place outside the house.
“The biggest thing for us is that the robbery took place at our home,” says Beth. She and her husband are now very hesitant to go outside at night. For the first few nights, Elliot found it hard to sleep. They did have to tell their older children something but only said that “some bad guys took Daddy’s wallet and it’s not very safe outside right now.” The children understand that they are not allowed to play outside by themselves for a while.
The Rosens feel that Shomrim did a great job but have concerns about the lag time it took for the police department to get a warrant to look for the cell phone. It was stolen on Thursday night but the warrant wasn’t obtained until the following Monday.
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Although none of the crime victims I spoke with mentioned whether they would seek professional help after these disturbing events, Dr. Yehuda Bergman, a trauma specialist at the Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy and Education, Inc., suggests that it is often advisable to see a therapist for assessment. “Time often heals, but sometimes it does not, and sometimes an effect is not seen until months or years later. People may develop anxieties. It is better to deal with the trauma earlier, before it becomes ‘engraved’ and harder to treat.”
What should children be told about these types of incidents? In Dr. Bergman’s opinion, while we don’t want to traumatize children if they are unaware, even the youngest children can often sense pressure in the home. “They know much more than we think they know, and they also speak among themselves.” If the children notice that something was stolen, there are ways to speak with them about safety. If we hide things from them, they will pick up on this, and we might lose their trust, causing them to not necessarily share other issues that they are dealing with.
Calmly discussing whatever they need to know on their level will prevent children from feeling like their parents are panicking or don’t know what to do, says Dr. Bergman. “We have to be honest but not scare them. We can say, ‘Some bad people broke into the house, but we are here and you are safe.’” Parents should assure their children that they will protect them but that we all need to be cautious. They can mention any security measures they are taking, such as alarms. “We can let them know that the police and Shomrim are helping and, of course, that Hakadosh Baruch Hu (G-d) is guarding us,” he concludes.
If parents find the kids showing signs of anxiety, such as not sleeping well or wetting the bed, they should not assume this will go away by itself but, rather, seek professional help. Sometimes parents themselves can seek help to find out how to help their kids, and this is effective as well.
Educating kids and having open communication between parents and children is essential. Let the children know that if they see something, or if someone suggests something that they feel uneasy about, they should share this information. Parents then need to take the children’s concerns seriously and do something about them rather than dismiss them. That is the best prevention, says Dr. Bergman.
Dr. Bergman also suggests finding a book (such as Bracha Goetz’s Let’s Stay Safe) that speaks in a child’s language. These types of books can trigger conversations about other things, such as neighborhood issues, and can definitely create open communication. Another source is the stories in Chaim Walder’s Kids Speak series, some of which deal with traumatic events in the form of fiction, creating an opening for parents to discuss them with their children.
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I spoke with Nathan Willner, General Counsel and Law Enforcement Liaison of Baltimore Shomrim. He told me that people who have been in Baltimore for 20 to 30 years have told him that they do not recall this volume of crime happening in such a short period of time. This includes about 30 incidents within a three-week period. But, while there has been an up-tick in crime, “there is no evidence that we, as a community, are being targeted,” says Mr. Willner. Rather, the same types of incidents have been happening in similar areas, such as Roland Park and Owings Mills. “I don’t think that this is unique to our community, and it’s definitely not unique to a large metropolitan city. The problem is that we aren’t used to this type of crime. Traditionally, we were a very safe part of Baltimore, although we’ve had sporadic crime just like any place else in City.” In his opinion, these are simply crimes of opportunity as criminals are finding us to be soft targets. Mr. Willner knows of at least two cases where break-ins were prevented, because the criminals discovered that someone was home. “It is important to answer the door if anyone knocks,” he says. “Don’t necessarily open it but just answer, ‘Who is it?’ so that they know there is someone inside.”
Mr. Willner stressed the benefit and importance of community cooperation. “Two criminals were recently arrested as a result of the close collaboration between Shomrim, the NWCP, and other community members who have close ties with the police department.” He believes this is the model of how a city and community should work, with a free flow of communication between law enforcement and citizen patrol groups.
We need to make it less inviting and more difficult for the criminals when they are planning their next target. They don’t like getting caught, so we have to heighten their perception of risk in our area. Our goal should be to strengthen our security and make sure neighbors are looking out for each other, discouraging criminals from perceiving our neighborhood as “low-hanging fruit.”
Mr. Willner says getting to know your neighbors and their schedules can help clue you in on what might be out of the ordinary. “Many times people don’t want to get involved because they are too worried about being accused of overreacting, but it’s important to call 911 if you see any suspicious behavior, anything that seems out of place.” In answer to the maybe-it’s-nothing or I- don’t-want-to-bother-the-police attitudes, Mr. Willner tells people, “Whether something is an emergency or not is for the police to decide. Don’t hesitate to call 911 about suspicious activity.”
Our local neighborhood patrol organizations and the City and County police departments are trying to educate the public on ways to make the criminals’ jobs more difficult. “If there is any silver lining to this problem,” Mr. Willner adds, “it is that this has created stronger unity among all segments of our community – including Shomrim and the NWCP working together as never before. We have all come together to help each other out and devise solutions to make the community safer.” He hopes the crime wave will cease and these incidents will be looked back on as an isolated period.
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Baltimore City Police Commissioner Kevin Davis spoke to the community at the recent meeting, hosted by the JCC, with the City police department and our neighborhood patrols, Shomrim and the NWCP. He introduced two newly-assigned and -promoted officers to the Northwest District, Lt. Col. Robert Smith and Major LaTonya Lewis. Lt. Col. Smith heads four police districts, including our own. Commissioner Davis said that Maj. Lewis, a 19-year veteran who just began this assignment on January 4, and Captain Jason Yerg are directly responsible for the NW district and work well together. The Commissioner stressed that the police will be doing everything possible to get this crime wave under control – and hopes 2015 will turn out to be an “asterisk year,” an anomaly when crime spiked but later went down.
Capt. Yerg spoke about the arrest of two juveniles who are suspects in a large percentage of the daytime home invasions. “Additional resources were sent here from throughout the City to assist us in the Northwest. Those resources, in conjunction with all the patrol resources we had, and all the eyes and ears on the ground, paid big dividends, allowing us to take the two juveniles into custody.” The youths were still in custody at the time of the meeting, but Capt. Yerg said that the criminal justice system will determine when they are released. Nonetheless, “They are now on our radar.”
The police officers who spoke echoed Mr. Willner, who stressed that the police need the help of the community. We are their eyes and ears. Unfortunately, the City police are working with a smaller force than they had several years ago and are being asked to do more with less manpower. Still, they feel that the cooperation of the community can help them in their jobs and also help us to protect ourselves. The most important message is, “If you see something, say something.” The officers who spoke agreed with Mr. Willner on calling 911, saying it is better to be wrong about your suspicion than not to call and later find out your gut feeling was right. Captain Yerg also stressed the importance of having an alarm system. He knows of at least three cases where an alarm was tripped and the burglars ran away.
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We all need to be aware of our surroundings and our neighbors. If you see someone on your block or any other street who does not seem to belong there and is acting suspiciously, call 911 first and then Shomrim. What is suspicious behavior? Some examples are people who drive or walk slowly down the street, seeming to pay a little too much attention to the details, or who may drive through the area several times, possibly casing the area; people who knock on door after door using different pretences, such as claiming to be from BGE; or someone who asks to use your cell phone to make a call.
If you notice anything like this, call 911 and Shomrim. Maybe it’s nothing. But in case it is something, it serves to document the incident and will get a patrol car in the area as soon as possible. While the patrol car might be 20 minutes away, at other times it may be around the block. And if Shomrim comes first, they can monitor the situation. Most importantly, of course, if you have been a victim of any crime, report it to the police. Otherwise, they have no record of a crime happening. More crime reports result in more police patrols.
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At the JCC meeting, several audience members complained of unpleasant experiences when dealing with police officers – either with a 911 operator or when an officer came to their home after a break-in. Lt. Col. Smith emphasized that he will not tolerate incompetent officers. He said that, like all professions, there are some incompetent or lazy officers. He advised citizens who are not happy with the officer they are dealing with (besides getting the name and badge number), to ask for the supervisor. If there is no satisfaction even after dealing with the supervisor, they should contact the Internal Affairs Department at 410-396-2300. He was most emphatic that the police force should be providing the best service possible and that he is on top of things to make sure this happens. “An officer who shuns the victim and does not take a report will be charged with neglect of duty,” he said.
Maj. Lewis added, “This is not just a police department problem, it’s a community problem, and the only way that we can solve it is by working together.” This is exactly what our citizen patrols have been emphasizing: Be aware of what is going on around you. If you see something, say something. And call 911 and then Shomrim at the sign of any suspicious behavior.
* a pseudonym
