Photo by Mary Walton
By Charles Layton
The woman who posted this sign on utility poles around Ocean Grove has a story to tell.
“On Thursday at 2 a.m.,” she said, “I was downstairs watching TV. I had fallen asleep. My husband came down the stairs, and there was a man in the dining room, like about eight feet from me.
“I have briefcases — I work in different places, so I have a briefcase for each place. The thief grabbed them and ran out the door.”
The woman told me she never actually saw the man, but as she woke up she heard her husband yelling, “Get out! Drop those things!” She said her husband chased the thief out of the house but then lost him in the darkness. The couple figures he must have gotten in through a side door to the kitchen, and that this door was probably unlocked at the time.
She was astonished that the intruder had the audacity to walk right in, even at that late hour, because “Clearly the TV was on, so he must have known somebody was in the house.”
When the police came, they informed the couple that just half an hour earlier there had been another, similar robbery just down the street. In that case, “The person was at home, having a drink on his porch. They’re coming in while we’re home! I don’t like robbery at any time, but this is particularly frightening.”
She made up about 20 signs like the one pictured above and has posted them around town. Her thinking is that the thief might have emptied the four bags of their contents and then hastily thrown the bags away. So at least she hopes she might get the bags back.
She and her husband have lived in Ocean Grove for 12 years. She said they have had six bicycles stolen during that time. They are also somewhat aware of the recent wave of thefts in town, and they find that disheartening.
“We’re here because we like the values of this community,” she said, “and we want to live peacefully here in God’s square mile.”
If this story has a bright side, it’s that nothing of real value was in the stolen bags — mostly just paperwork. “And,” she said, “nobody was hurt, that’s a good thing.”
Anyone who finds one of her stolen bags should call 732-776-7360.
SR: Before you move, go on the Internet and check out the crime rates around the state. It may not be any consolation to you, but our rates are very low. Having said that, we definitely need a more energetic response from the NTPD.
It’s my briefcases which were stolen. Nothing has been returned, but I want to thank participants on Blogfinger, the concerns of our OG neighbors, and everyone I talked to in person as I walked around town putting up red signs with my phone # on it, and all of you who have been keeping your eyes open for my briefcases.
Neptune Township police tried to be helpful, but there is no doubt that we need more police on foot or bike or Segway at night. And given the taxes we all pay here, cameras would not be an unreasonable investment.
We are not naive: we have lights on porches, timers on inside lights, an alarm system. My husband and I are sad and disheartened. After 12 years in God’s square mile, we have had 6 locked bikes stolen, including a new tandem last year, an attempted break-in on Christmas night 2 years ago (they tried to break a kitchen window while we were sleeping — we heard noise, went downstairs and they fled) and now someone entering our house while I am watching TV. We are coming to feel that we must move from this beautiful place where we intended to live the rest of our lives. SR
I bought a big dog, sharp teeth, loud bark. Meet him on the street, he is your best friend. Come into my house without invitation, he is your worst nightmare.
I’ll keep my eyes open if riding past any dumpsters or trash cans in Asbury. I already was out on the bike, but I’ll try to go for another ride later and keep my eyes open for you. I’d suggest doing the same. I figure north and west of the area would be the best bet. They probably wouldn’t hold onto the briefcases and bags unless they were nice. My bike was stolen years ago in OG and I found my cut cable lock in a dumpster outside of a house, right around Mt. Tabor or Asbury Ave. Proof that cable locks are no good.
What is the next headline? “Sign of the The Times,Brazen Late Night Intruder, Woman gets Raped in her Home”
We need answers!
The elected Neptune Township Committee member liaison to public safety is Kevin McMillan who can be reached at:
kmcmillan@neptunetownship.org
or
732-988-5200 Extension 291.
RCB, I’ve thought about buying a gun too, but NJ laws make it difficult to protect yourself even in your own home. The homeowner can end up going to jail in this state!
I am a 3rd generation Ocean Grover and grew up back in (what I call) the good old days of Ocean Grove. Where I live now — we have the same problem, for the most part, petty theft. However, it’s not “petty” to the homeowner.
My daughter owns our family home on Broadway, and we’re in the Grove often. I see NTPD in town a lot and I know they can’t be everywhere all the time — people who steal know this only too well themselves. The O.G. Citizens Patrol has always been good at reporting anything of question to the PD, and I’m sure they could use more help.
Our world has gotten crazier, and crime is on the rise. No more can you leave your doors unlocked or open your home to a stranger. Truth be told, it was that way back in the 50’s and 60’s— just not to this extent. I speak from experience. My dad was the Chief of Police in Ocean Grove until he was beaten to death by a suspect he had in custody — Aug.23, 1971.
So, on that note, lock your doors, leave some lights on, watch out for your neighbors, and report anything that doesn’t seem right.
A suggestion might be to join the Ocean Grove Citizen’s Patrol and help them out with patroling every night.
I am buying a gun.
I think that there is no question that the police have decriminalized non-violent crime in Ocean Grove. Vandalism — no punishment; simple theft — no punishment. How bad does it have to get before the police do their jobs? Given the amount of taxes paid by OG, its really appalling that we don’t get better security from the police.
What will be next? Physical harm? What is police doing TODAY to step up patrolling? What recourse do the citizens take to protect ourselves? What can the home owners do to reverse this trend? Let’s generate ideas, work the details out and take action! Call a meeting with the Neptune police.
Why is Neptune the only town around that doesn’t have a police blotter in the local papers.
When police arrived, they reported a crime on same street 30 minutes earlier. So, the question: What did the police do policing the area looking for a felon during that time?
Every time the question is raised about the extent of police deployment on a regular basis in Ocean Grove, the response is: we don’t want to reveal our regular reconnaissance efforts to tip the thieves off.
This is not a game. As high-end taxpayers and seasonal vacancies, we are vulnerable. So who can answer what improvements can be made?