West Caldwell Police Ask Residents to Report Suspicious Activity

With four residential burglaries reported in the township in less than a month, West Caldwell Police are asking residents to be vigilant and report suspicious activity.

“Who knows what goes on in your neighborhood better than you?” asks a public service announcement released by the agency Wednesday. 

Residents are encouraged to call 9-1-1 for emergencies and 973-226-4114 for non-emergencies. Details, such as location, day, time and descriptions of suspects and suspicious vehicles, are most helpful.

West Caldwell Police Chief Michael Bramhall said Wednesday the four recent burglaries remain under investigation. He said in all cases small items, such as jewelry and laptops, were taken. All burglaries are reported to have occurred during the day on weekdays, with the exception of one on Christmas Eve, which was a Saturday.

Bramhall said residential burglaries are more likely to occur during the week when neighborhoods are quiet with people at work and children at school. He added that it’s common for burglars to take small items, such as jewelry and electronics, which can easily fit in a backpack.

If you see the burglar 10 minutes later walking down the street, Bramhall said, “You wouldn’t think anything of it.”

The most recent burglary in West Caldwell happened on Friday, Jan. 6 on , where jewelry and a laptop were reported missing from a second floor master bedroom. The suspect or suspects are believed to have entered through a rear door. 

Prior to that, jewelry was reported missing from a on Dec. 28. In this case, entry was made through a first floor window.

A burglar or burglars forced their way through a rear door of a Mountain Avenue residence on Dec. 24, Christmas Eve. Among the items reported missing were wrapped Christmas gifts, assorted jewelry and a laptop. Nine days earlier, on Dec. 15, a Passaic Avenue home was burglarized and jewelry was reported missing from a master bedroom.

West Caldwell isn’t the only West Essex town to have experienced numerous residential burglaries in recent days. Four burglaries were reported in the area on Monday, according to Bramhall.

In addition to keeping an eye out for unusual activity, residents are advised to keep their doors and windows locked and use alarms if they have them.