Despite crime data, Vernon residents feel unsafe - Brattleboro Reformer

VERNON — Officials from the Windham County Sheriff's Office acknowledged how burglaries affect victims on a personal level but also wanted to stay objective when it came to the data.

"It sucks," Capt. Mark Anderson said during the Vernon Select Board meeting on Aug. 1. "I don't want to see this happen. I know my deputies don't want to see this happen."

Sheriff Keith Clark said he was invited to the meeting after a social media post indicated that the town was seeing a rash of burglaries. However, he noted that when looking at crime statistics ver a 10 year span, the numbers don't support the claim. Although residents did not necessarily agree, Anderson said a large sample provides an accurate assumption.

According to the Vermont Crime Information Center's statistics for Windham County from 2004 to 2014, Vernon had the second lowest rate for burglaries per 100 people at 0.21. The town was only outdone by Brookline, which had a rate of 0.04 burglaries per 100 people.

Somerset was next with 0.5 then Athens with 2.4, Stratton with 2.7 and Halifax with 3.1.

Over the same decade, Brattleboro had about 16 burglaries a year where Vernon had 4.6. Higher rates also occurred in Westminster, which saw about 19.8 burglaries per year, and Bellows Falls, which had about 12.3 burglaries each year. It was noted that Vernon had been missing data for 2007.

"Other communities around Vernon see roughly double the number of burglaries," said Anderson, who also provided data since the WCSO took over policing in Vernon in 2014 after the town's department was shut down as financial concerns mounted when the nuclear power plant Vermont Yankee was heading towards decommissioning.

Two burglaries have been reported in Vernon as of this year and both occurred in July, according to Anderson. Last year, 12 burglaries were reported. In 2015, there were three. And in 2014, there were five.

Seven of the previously mentioned cases have been closed, Anderson said. Five resulted in the arrest of the offending parties. Two were closed due to the property owner not wanting to press charges. Eleven cases remain active.

Anderson said burglary rings tend to go after communities, not specific towns. He suggested residents make an inventory of valuable belongings, including taking photos of serial numbers. Without that information, items can be difficult to retrieve.

Police recommend not announcing vacations or trips via social media.

"The biggest thing," Sgt. Chris Norton said, "is getting people to lock their doors — both at home and in their cars. The unfortunate reality is no place in Vermont is safe from being broken into."

He told residents to watch out for suspicious activity when they know a neighbor is away and not to wait to report anything. He said it can be frustrating to find out something that could have been helpful earlier on.

"We don't mind coming out. We don't mind at all," said Norton.

Another piece of advice involved getting cameras, motion-sensor lights or surveillance and alarm systems.

For what his office considered low burglary rates, Clark cited the town's investment in recreation and education. But he also brought up "proactive policing" in which his office conducts house checks and meets with residents.

"You don't need a formal neighborhood watch," he said.

Resident Coco Christiansen had brought the issue to light when she posted about recent burglaries online. Her family had been the victims of two burglaries within the last three years.

"I think it's in the last 12 months, West Road saw four break-ins and burglaries, and that's alarming to me," she said. "Maybe I am so out of touch, that four burglaries really seemed alarming to me."

A window on the third floor of Christiansen's home had been broken into, causing her to question what was happening in her "little community."

"It unsettled me and threw my balance in life off. I had no idea this other stuff was going on," Christiansen said. "There's more that goes on than I think people report to you and I'm going to stamp my foot. I want it to stop."

Clark encouraged her to "keep stamping" and said people should report crimes no matter how late.

The opioid crisis has prompted citizens to take the law into their own hands as others violate laws, said Gordon Christiansen, Coco's husband.

"If they're not going to respect you and your office, they're not going to respect us, the citizens," he said. "We're trying to raise awareness, that's all."

Resident Jennie Mills' nightmare is returning, she said.

Last summer, her residence had been burglarized. It was particularly troubling because her husband had been out of work and at home a lot of the time.

"Whoever is doing this, they're watching our houses," Mills said. "They know when we leave."

Reach staff writer Chris Mays at 802-254-2311, ext. 273, or @CMaysBR.

If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.

Let's block ads! (Why?)