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Police Dept. reports major decline in summer burglaries
By Matthew Marass
Rochester Police
Department volunteer
In the summer of 2009, the Village of Rochester began experiencing a dramatic increase in burglaries. From June 1through
August 31 during the summer of 2008 to the summer of 2009 the village went from just three burglaries up to eighteen, and this
number increased again during the summer of 2010 to 23 burglaries.
These crimes included residential burglary, burglary to a motor vehicle, and burglary (which includes burglary to an unattached
garage, out building or business). After further investigation and collaboration with other agencies, the department realized that
suspects who were committing these offenses resided outside of the community. The majority of the Rochester residents targeted
in these burglaries had vehicles with their doors left unlocked and garages where doors were left up, or unsecured. Understanding
these factors, the department began to take steps to deter these crimes.
After having nine burglaries reported in the summer of 2001, the most that Rochester experienced from that year until 2009 was
five in 2006, with a low figure of one in 2003.
During the summer of 2010, the Rochester Police Department worked alongside detectives with the Springfield Police
Department to identify suspects living outside of Rochester responsible for committing these crimes. Realizing that other small
towns were falling victim to this tactic as well, the Springfield Police Department formed a multi-agency task force to identify and
apprehend this ring of burglars. Rochester’s investigator, Corporal Jon Schwartz, was a member of this task force. With the
assistance of the Springfield detectives, Rochester officers were able to solve many of their crimes.
The department turned to the community in the spring of 2010 for help with preventing these burglaries. Officers began a new
program called the “Community-Police Partnership Program,” which aimed to inform community members on what types of
suspicious behavior to be looking out for, as well as offering advice on how to prevent residents from becoming victims.
Along with this initiative, the department began employing new resources to educate the community. New tools such as the
department’s Facebook page, Twitter and Nixle accounts, and a new website enabled officers to push up-to-date information out to
the public in a timely manner. The Rochester Times and the State Journal Register were very crucial with helping the department
build the awareness of the public and gain a following on these sites, making them much more effective.
To further deter these crimes, officers began ramping up patrols and contact with the public in an effort to forge partnerships,
harden the community, and enhance visible police presence within the village. This was accomplished primarily through directed
patrols and increased traffic enforcement.
In addition to this, officers began notifying residents who left their garage doors up at night in an effort to prevent crimes of
opportunity within the community. The proactive efforts of the officers proved highly effective and were well received by community
members. These efforts have prompted the community to become more cognizant of securing their homes and reporting
suspicious behavior to law enforcement.
With these new partnerships, resources and a little luck, the summer of 2011 proved very rewarding for the department’s
prevention efforts. The number of burglaries dropped from 23 during the summer of 2010 down to zero this past summer. The
department would like to thank the Rochester Times, the State Journal Register, and the Springfield Police Department for their
continuing support and assistance; these crucial partnerships greatly enhance the department’s outreach and effectiveness.
Rochester officers plan to continue prevention efforts this spring by introducing a short informational series of videos with tips
on how residents can make their homes more secure and less attractive to burglars.
By Matthew Marass
Rochester Police
Department volunteer
In the summer of 2009, the Village of Rochester began experiencing a dramatic increase in burglaries. From June 1through
August 31 during the summer of 2008 to the summer of 2009 the village went from just three burglaries up to eighteen, and this
number increased again during the summer of 2010 to 23 burglaries.
These crimes included residential burglary, burglary to a motor vehicle, and burglary (which includes burglary to an unattached
garage, out building or business). After further investigation and collaboration with other agencies, the department realized that
suspects who were committing these offenses resided outside of the community. The majority of the Rochester residents targeted
in these burglaries had vehicles with their doors left unlocked and garages where doors were left up, or unsecured. Understanding
these factors, the department began to take steps to deter these crimes.
After having nine burglaries reported in the summer of 2001, the most that Rochester experienced from that year until 2009 was
five in 2006, with a low figure of one in 2003.
During the summer of 2010, the Rochester Police Department worked alongside detectives with the Springfield Police
Department to identify suspects living outside of Rochester responsible for committing these crimes. Realizing that other small
towns were falling victim to this tactic as well, the Springfield Police Department formed a multi-agency task force to identify and
apprehend this ring of burglars. Rochester’s investigator, Corporal Jon Schwartz, was a member of this task force. With the
assistance of the Springfield detectives, Rochester officers were able to solve many of their crimes.
The department turned to the community in the spring of 2010 for help with preventing these burglaries. Officers began a new
program called the “Community-Police Partnership Program,” which aimed to inform community members on what types of
suspicious behavior to be looking out for, as well as offering advice on how to prevent residents from becoming victims.
Along with this initiative, the department began employing new resources to educate the community. New tools such as the
department’s Facebook page, Twitter and Nixle accounts, and a new website enabled officers to push up-to-date information out to
the public in a timely manner. The Rochester Times and the State Journal Register were very crucial with helping the department
build the awareness of the public and gain a following on these sites, making them much more effective.
To further deter these crimes, officers began ramping up patrols and contact with the public in an effort to forge partnerships,
harden the community, and enhance visible police presence within the village. This was accomplished primarily through directed
patrols and increased traffic enforcement.
In addition to this, officers began notifying residents who left their garage doors up at night in an effort to prevent crimes of
opportunity within the community. The proactive efforts of the officers proved highly effective and were well received by community
members. These efforts have prompted the community to become more cognizant of securing their homes and reporting
suspicious behavior to law enforcement.
With these new partnerships, resources and a little luck, the summer of 2011 proved very rewarding for the department’s
prevention efforts. The number of burglaries dropped from 23 during the summer of 2010 down to zero this past summer. The
department would like to thank the Rochester Times, the State Journal Register, and the Springfield Police Department for their
continuing support and assistance; these crucial partnerships greatly enhance the department’s outreach and effectiveness.
Rochester officers plan to continue prevention efforts this spring by introducing a short informational series of videos with tips
on how residents can make their homes more secure and less attractive to burglars.
Issue Date: Dec. 1, 2011
