Seniors can plan for burglary protection

Advocates and law enforcement professionals say there are measures seniors can take to protect their homes and documents from burglars if they have extended absences that are either planned or emergency-mandated. One older Queens resident just found out what can happen the hard way.

Early this summer, Eileen, a senior citizen and Queens resident, had an unexpected medical emergency.

“I thought I would be in the hospital for four days,” she said.

But it turned out to be more serious than she thought, and after an extended stay in the hospital, Eileen — not her real name — required a stay at a rehabilitation facility.

Very early on during her stay, Eileen’s letter carrier saw mail piling up for a few days when it should not have been. The NYPD was notified to conduct a wellness check, with officers forcing their way in hoping not to discover the worst.

While recuperating, Eileen periodically checked with her bank, and each time her balance was what she expected it to be.

Until it wasn’t.

“I had just over $200 left,” she said.

Eileen recently got an emergency release and was brought back home, where she found the door slightly open.

During her weeks away, her residence was burglarized.

The door will have to be replaced. Personal items lay strewn on the floor of two rooms. And her personal papers were laid out as if they were gone through in an orderly manner by someone who knew what to look for.

“He took my driver’s license, the registration for my car,” she said. “He took my extra car keys.”

And at least one check from her checkbook, which was cashed for a great deal of money.

“I was at motor vehicles yesterday getting my new license and registration,” she said, with a determined grit, but still no small trace of despair in her voice over the fact that her home, her sanctuary, had been broken into.

Barry Klitsberg is president of the Queens Interagency Council on Aging. Joseph Giacalone is a retired NYPD detective who now teaches at John Jay College in Brooklyn. Both told the Chronicle that there are things seniors can do before a planned medical absence from home, and plans they can have in place before emergency strikes.

“First, if this was planned, whether she lives in a private house or an apartment, she should mention to a neighbor, someone she knows, someone she trusts, that she’s going to be away and have them take in her mail, Klitsberg said. “That’s the first thing.

“When you see a lot of mail piling up, that’s a sign that no one is home. If her letter carrier noticed it, somebody else will notice it too.”

Giacalone, former commander of the NYPD’s Bronx Cold Case Squad, said if it is planned, people can arrange with the Post Office to hold their mail. If not, there are precautions that can be taken.

“If they have no family members who can readily help, they need to have some sort of plan,” Giacalone said. “There’s got to be a caretaker who can be trusted. There are lawyers who handle this, estate lawyers, who are available to take care of things like this — ‘When I get home, I’ll contact you. If I don’t, you know what to do.’”

Klitsberg said one should always keep his or her car locked.

“Always lock up important things in a strongbox or something,” he added. “Get a timer for your lights. Let them go on at a certain time. Let them go off at a certain time. You can get those at a hardware store for a few dollars. Especially if you have a private house, you want lights to go on in the evening. If they don’t, that’s a sign nobody is home.”

Giacalone said even a strongbox is not enough caution by itself for important personal papers, credit cards and other important or valuable items.

“If a pro gets in ... where do people keep their important stuff?” he asked. “In the bedroom. Every burglar knows this. It’s in your sock drawer. You need to switch that up, be more creative about where you keep those things.”

Both men said the same goes for securing medications, as thieves do target drugs. Klitsberg added that prescription medicine containers also contain personal information.

NYPD CompStat figures through Aug. 20 show a 10.3 percent drop in burglaries citywide year-to-date from 2022.

In Queens, however, cases are up just over 4.4 percent year-to-date, with 1,984 incidents being reported in the borough through Aug. 20, as opposed to an even 1,900 last year.

Giacalone said that in some cases, the pilfered documents mentioned by Eileen can work in detectives’ favor once they are reported stolen.

“If you go to use these documents, and the place has a good security camera ...

Eileen said she had no problem whatsoever with her letter carrier contacting police, knowing he or she was acting in good faith. But she is concerned that perhaps officers didn’t secure her door as well as they should have.

Klitsberg didn’t think that was likely the issue, as the NYPD has safety checks down to a routine.

“If they have to break in, they have to repair the door,” he said. “They lock up everything again. So I’m assuming it wasn’t sitting there with an open door.

“The procedure, when we have to make an entry like that, is that the city is responsible for securing that door,” Giacalone said. “They leave a cop there until somebody comes to secure that door.

“They have to file a report called ‘City Involved’ and call a division in the department to come and secure that door.

“Because word will get around the neighborhood fast. And who needs to go out of their way to go to [the Department of] Motor Vehicles like she had to?”

QueensChronicle.com

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