Resident trooper fields questions on how to cope with break-ins

By Lloyd Garrison

Greg Naylor, Norfolk’s resident state trooper, advised a spirited public meeting  on March 4 on ways to deter home burglaries, but he saw no end in sight to the rise here in drug-related thefts.

“With heroin selling for as little as five dollars a bag,” he said, “addicts desperate for a fix will continue coming up Route 28 and 44 to hit on unoccupied homes of Norfolk’s relatively affluent residents.”

Over 50 townspeople filled the Botelle School cafeteria for the special meeting sponsored by Norfolk Now in cooperation with School Superintendent George Counter.

There was no shortage of questions. Some asked why they seldom saw Naylor around town. Naylor, now in his eighth year as resident trooper, said his job was not like the town sheriff who had to be re-elected every few years. “The priorities of criminal investigation prevent me from being visible and changes with the fluctuation in my case load,” he said.  “Despite this, I attempt to make myself available to all levels of concerns and complaints.”

Despite the many hours necessary to draw up an arrest warrant, he lamented the number of cases that ended in suspended sentences or probation, sending addicts back on the streets to support their habit through repeated thefts.

Naylor came to the meeting with a two-page handout that listed 18 things a typical burglar had in mind when casing a potential target. “I hate loud dogs and nosy neighbors,” topped the list of deterrents.  “Of course, I may look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters or delivering your new refrigerator. I do my best to never look like a crook.  Sometimes I carry a clipboard. If you don’t answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally I hit the jackpot and walk right in.”

Naylor advised that if you do answer the door, don’t let anyone in who asks to use the bathroom or make a phone call. Note the make of the visitor’s car and the license plate and call 911.

Naylor added that a ladder left in plain sight is an invitation for a second-floor entry. He also recommended keeping a list of serial numbers for TV’s, chainsaws and power tools that could be retrieved if the items were pawned.

“Above all,” he stressed, “don’t be tempted to drive downtown to pick up the mail without first setting the alarm and locking up. And come warmer weather, make sure you haven’t left a few windows cracked open to get some air. ”

For a discussion on crime by Norfolk’s Board of Selectmen at their April 1,2014 meeting, click here.

Photo by Bruce Frisch.