Bala Cynwyd/Merion Burglars
Below are the mug shots for two of the persons suspected of being a part of
a gang of burglars in our area.
Burglaries in Our Area
Since Jan.23 we have experienced 21 residential burglaries in the Merion and
Bala Cynwyd areas. All of these homes were unoccupied at the time of the incident.
These have happened during the day and at night, the latest time being at 9:00
PM. It appears that we could have two separate burglary teams working these
areas based on the style “MO” of these crimes. Entry has been made
by kicking open doors, forcibly pushing open windows, and prying doors and windows.
Cash, change in containers, jewelry, and silver have been stolen. Alarm systems
have not deterred these perpetrators. In the Bala Cynywd area ref. the burglaries
in the vicinity of Llandrillo, Trevor and Colwyn Roads we are interested in
a late90’s green Ford Expedition operated by a black male, approx. 40
years old. In the burglaries along Meeting House Rd., Levering Mill Rd., and
in College Park, we are looking for a newer model white Ford Truck with a ladder
rack on the drivers side. This type of truck was seen in the driveway of a house
that was burglarized at approximately 11:30 AM on March 12. Please note the
attached Wanted Poster from Lower Moreland PD in regards to an Attempted Burglary
on March 15 involving a white male utilizing the same type of vehicle.
Community Meeting this Past Monday Evening
We had a community meeting this past Monday evening to discuss the recent spate
of burglaries plaguing the township, including here in Bala Cynwyd. We had over
250 people turn out to hear Lieutenant Bernard D"Amour of the Lower Merion
Police, along with two of his colleagues, provide background as to the criminal
activity, and then discuss the best means for residents to protect themselves
and to assist the Police. The purpose of this e-mail is to provide copies of
the materials distributed at the meeting. Lieutenant D'Amour's e-mail providing
some of the details follows immediately below this e-mail, and I have included
the attachments to which he refers in his e-mail, which include information
about certain suspects for whom the Police are looking, crime prevention tips
discussed at the meeting, and sign-up information for the Township's incident
alert system, Nixle. The recurrent message we have heard from our Police, including
on Monday evening, which is to ask that you contact them if you see anything
which you regard as suspicious. They would rather have you err on the side of
notifying rather than hesitating, because residents are the best eyes and ears
the Police have in watching over our community. You can reach the Police at
(610) 649-1000 or (610) 642-4200, and of course, if you think it is a matter
or urgency, you can always dial 911. The Community Watch program was founded
in 1977 by the Lower Merion Police Department. It trains residents in how to
assist the Police in patrolling their neighborhoods. While traditionally much
of the focus of Community Watch work has been in the evening hours, the phenomenon
of daytime burglaries points to the importance of involving residents who are
in their neighborhoods during the day. You may never have considered joining
Community Watch, but I encourage you to do so now. Information can be obtained
on the Lower Merion Township website at http://www.lowermerion.org/Index.aspx?page=543.
Bruce D. Reed
Lower Merion Township Commissioner
Ward 13 (Cynwyd and Merion)
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