Law agencies discuss rash of burglaries

By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
   Seven law enforcement agencies gathered recently to focus their joint resources on catching the person or persons responsible for a rash of burglaries that have occurred in riverside communities since June.
   The crimes have occurred in Lambertville, New Hope and Solebury Township. The targets have been mainly businesses.
   Representatives from the police departments from those communities, plus Delaware and West Amwell townships, met Oct. 1 in Lambertville to compare notes on the crimes. New Jersey State Police and the Hunterdon County prosecutor’s office also attended.
   ”We sat down and threw out all our stuff, what we’re all looking at,” Lambertville Police Director Bruce Cocuzza said.
   ”The idea behind sharing information is the theory that somebody has a missing piece of information,” New Hope Police Sgt. John Goss said Monday. “Hopefully, somebody will recognize something.”
   Officials theorize the same person or band of persons is responsible for many of the burglaries.
   Solebury Police Chief Dominick Bellizzie said he wouldn’t necessarily describe the perpetrators as a burglary ring.
   ”I don’t have an indication for our jobs it’s multiple doers,” he said. “I would say it’s the same individual.”
   In the majority of the crimes, a person or persons broke into businesses and made off with mostly cash. The largest cash haul was $37,000 from Bell’s Tavern in Lambertville. The burglar carted off the entire safe with the money still inside.
   The largest merchandise haul occurred in Solebury where an intruder stole the entire stock of a shop’s designer eyeglass frames, about 1,350 frames valued at $100,000.
   There have been 14 burglaries for the year in Lambertville with nine occurring in the recent string of burglaries.
   ”It is very disturbing because these burglaries are coming at a relatively close time window,” Mr. Cocuzza said.
   In New Hope, 10 burglaries occurred this year with eight since June, Sgt. Goss said. The largest amount at one time was $250; the smallest $35.
   Also, in one job the burglar made off with two laptops. In another job, all that was taken was some inexpensive jewelry.
   In Solebury, there have been four burglaries and one attempted burglary, Chief Bellizzie said. The township’s burglaries began in August and continued through Sept. 11.