Violent Crimes are Down and Property Crimes Remain Even in Riverdale Park

There is fairly little crime in Riverdale Park, but what crime is present has decreased or stayed the same compared with 2010.

Police Chief David Morris recently presented the Police Department's annual crime report, covering January 2011 through June 2011. 

During the same period in 2010, there were 41 violent crimes committed in Riverdale Park.  For 2011, that number is down to 28.  There were 24 robberies in 2010, and this year that number is down to 17. The number of assaults last year was at 16, and this year that number is down to 11.

There were slight increases for both burglary and larceny this year. Burglaries increased from 24 to 31; larceny increased from 72 to 79. Vehicle theft is down from 34 to 20, but Chief Morris warns that as the cold weather sets in, we could see an increase in what he called "warm-up theft." These thefts occur when people start their cars on cold mornings and leave them running to warm up.

Chief Morris also expressed the importance of community-based crime fighting strategies, and suggested the formation of a Chief's Advisory Council to increase the flow of information between the police department and residents. 

He also advises that when residents go out of town or on vacation, that they inform the police department. While no one is home, an officer will drive by the home to perform vacation checks on the property. Keep this in mind as you plan for your holiday travel.

The department's full report can be found on the town's website.