State police address recent burglaries in Millstone Various cars and six homes broken into during March, April BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer MILLSTONE- The New Jersey State Police said an e-mail circulated by residents about recent burglaries has caused unnecessary disturbance in the township. Lt. Robert Hanley, station commander of the New Jersey State Police Hamilton Barracks, attended the Township Committee's May 7 meeting to talk about the burglaries in the area that were mentioned in the e-mail and to give crime prevention tips. The e-mail, distributed around Millstone last month, stated, "There have been a number of robberies in town the past couple of weeks [on] Stagecoach Road, Bowman Court and [in] the neighborhood by the baseball fields. The police are looking for a silver/gray car [unfortunately no make, model or license plate]." The e-mail continued, "It appears to be professionals, not kids. They take money, jewelry and electronics. If you see a car fitting the description above and the driver appears to be suspicious, do not hesitate to call the police." Hanley said the e-mail "stirred up a lot of unnecessary commotion." He said there were six residential burglaries in Millstone in March and April, which appear to have been committed by juveniles. The detective bureau is working on several leads and possible suspects, he said. "Millstone is not alone in this problem," he said. "Surroundings towns are [also] being hit." Hanley said the state police have a good relationship with police in nearby municipalities and are working with their detective bureaus on the issue. "I am confident it will be solved," Hanley said. According toHanley, there have been no reported residential burglaries in the township in more than a month. "It's a beautiful area here, people don't think of crime," Hanley said. He urged residents to be vigilant and to look out for one another. "You know what is normal," he said. Hanley warned that metal theft is on the rise. He said anyone involved in new construction or renovation work should not leave metals out in the open and should lock them up. He also encouraged residents to lock their doors and windows, including basement windows, and to leave motion sensor lights and alarms on. "Some people spend thousands of dollars on an alarm system, but find it's a pain in the neck to set it up," he said. Other advice he offered was to hide valuables as burglars like to get in and out of a house quickly. Residents going on vacation should let their neighbors know and ask them to pick up mail and newspapers, he said.He also said timers on lights for vacant houses are a good idea as is trimming bushes near windows where criminals may hide. Hanley said cars in the township are being entered. He suggested taking Global Positioning Systems down and putting them away when not in use, and removing the suction cups from the windows. He also said that many drivers leave their garage door remote controls on their car visors, which thieves can use to get into residences. Hanley also addressed traffic issues in the town, which he said the police take very seriously. The state police have spoken to school bus drivers about cars passing them, he said. Sgt. Carl Savage, the state police liaison for communications to Millstone, said he recently handled an incident in neighboring Upper Freehold where a bus driver identified the driver of a car that passed the bus. The police issued a summons. He said the bus driver would testify in court against the driver. If found guilty, the driver faces a hefty fee and five points, he said. DeputyMayor Bob Kinsey, who ran the meeting in the absence ofMayorNancy Grbelja, said he would like the state police to provide the Township Committee with updates every two to three months. Hanley said that residents who see anything suspicious should take down license plate numbers if there are any involved, descriptions of suspicious persons and the time and place before calling the state police at (609) 584-5000.