ONEONTA _ With the arrival of summer-vacation season, city police are offering tips on how residents can keep their homes safe while they are away.
They are also reminding residents to practice crime-prevention strategies while they are home.
Lt. Dennis Nayor of the Oneonta Police Department said he wasn't immediately able to provide figures Thursday on the number of break-ins in recent months, but said they are comparable to historical levels.
There is no spree going on, and most break-ins appear to be crimes of opportunity where the burglars access a home through an unlocked door, Nayor said.
"I don't think it's anything well-planned or organized," Nayor said. "Some of the burglaries could have easily been prevented by securing and locking doors."
The Center City area experienced a cluster of break-ins and attempted break-ins last fall. Others in that area have been reported in recent months. Nayor said geography may play a role.
"You obviously have more foot traffic going through Center City," Nayor said.
Center City is a pedestrian transit area with many people going to and from the city's downtown, residential areas and the Hartwick and State University College at Oneonta campuses.
It's not unusual to have people out at 3 a.m., Nayor said.
In some cases reported by residents, small items such as iPods or video games have been taken.
Items taken are sometimes used by the perpetrators, and sometimes sold for cash, Nayor said.
There have been no elements of violence in any of the break-ins, Nayor said.
Fingerprinting not applicable
in all cases
Solving crimes in real life is different than in "CSI" or other television shows, where they are solved in an hour, Nayor said.
Fingerprinting is a good tool for crime investigators, but it has its limitations, Nayor said.
"It's actually difficult in a lot of regards," Nayor said.
Nayor said fingerprints are difficult to lift from rough surfaces. Door handles are also poor places to look for prints because there may be a lot of different people who have used the handles, which are often inadvertently touched after a crime has been committed, he said.
"If there is an area that looks like it's worth getting forensic work done, we will," Nayor said.
Prevention is key
Nayor said that in addition to the standard crime-prevention tactics residents can employ, there are a few additional considerations for the summer.
Nayor said if a resident is planning a vacation, he or she should coordinate with the post office and their newspaper to stop delivery while they are away or have a neighbor pick up their mail and paper.
A resident who will be out of town may also contact the police and have his or her home placed on a list of places checked periodically by police, Nayor said.
Sgt. Andrew Thomas said setting a few lights on a timer inside the home during the evening can help make it appear as if someone is home.
Thomas also said that during the summer, unsecured first-floor windows can be used to gain entrance to a home. Locking screens on first-floor windows or closing the windows at night can help prevent this, he said.
