As the Labor Day weekend approaches, Acting Police Chief James F. Lyden issued an urgent call for public cooperation to combat a surge in residential burglaries affecting the South Shore region.

(Pictured: The “Wet Brandits”, a duo of incompetent burglars who attempt to rob homes while residents are on vacation (Home Alone, 1990)

Noting that holiday weekends during the summer months historically see a spike in housebreaks, Lyden emphasized that while local law enforcement has deployed plainclothes officers in unmarked cruisers alongside regular patrols, police manpower has its limits. “The department is not understaffed,” Lyden stated, “but patrolmen cannot be on every street every minute. On two occasions we’ve apprehended burglars through the cooperation of neighbors. This shows we can use everyone’s help.”

Police Crime Prevention Guidelines

With close to 10 housebreaks reported across Norwood since June, the police department issued a safety bulletin urging residents leaving town for the holiday to adopt several precautionary measures:

Notify Police: Inform the police department of extended absences so officers can periodically check unoccupied residences.
Manage Deliveries & Mail: Cancel all daily newspaper deliveries and arrange for the post office to hold mail.
Create a “Lived-In” Look: Plug interior lamps into automatic timers to switch on at dusk and keep window shades and blinds in their normal positions.
Secure All Access Points: Close and lock every window and exterior door—including garages—and install robust pin-tumbler cylinder locks with deadbolt mechanisms on exterior entryways.
Protect Valuables: Store high-value items and jewelry in a bank safety deposit box while traveling.
Report Suspicious Activity: Immediately contact the police department upon spotting unfamiliar prowlers or suspicious individuals lingering in the neighborhood.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger

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