While Residents Away, N. Caldwell Home Burglarized

As residents take a break for a summer vacation, more burglars could be getting to work inside the unoccupied homes, North Caldwell Police Chief Mark Deuer warned on Tuesday.

According to Deuer, an Oak Place home was burglarized while the residents were on vacation over the weekend.

A housekeeper found the front door forced open Monday morning at about 8:30 a.m., Deuer said.

Entry was made by either kicking or shouldering the door sometime between Friday and Monday morning and the master bedroom was ransacked with jewelry taken, Deuer said.

According to Deuer, police canvassed the area, but do not have any leads.

It's the borough's first reported break-in since a Squire Hill Road residence was burglarized in April during a monthlong spree of similar incidents in The Caldwells.

While Deuer reminds residents to activate security alarms, the chief also suggests notifying the police department if going on vacation. According to Deuer, the police accept requests to monitor homes periodically for residents who are away.

If anyone has information on the burglary or would like to notify the police of an upcoming vacation, call the department's headquarters at 973-226-0800. The North Caldwell Police also launched a Web site last week.