Commuters seek more security after break-ins
Several vehicles burglarized at parking deck on Jan. 10
BY BRIAN DONAHUE
Staff Writer

Commuters are concerned about what some view as a lack of security at East Brunswick Township park-and-rides following a rash of car break-ins last week at the Neilson Plaza deck .

At least eight motor vehicles were broken into at the Route 18 deck on Jan. 10, according to police. Officers responded to the facility at 3:27 p.m. that day after being notified that two black males in black, hooded sweatshirts were trying to gain entry into parked vehicles. Police were unable to locate the suspects, and eventually determined that several vehicles on various levels of the deck were broken into by either punching out a lock or prying open the door.

The driver's door was pried open on a 2001 Dodge pickup truck, and its stereo was stolen. The driver's-side door lock was punched out on a 2002 BMW, and a number of CDs and black Timberland boots were taken. A 2006 BMW and a 2006 Lexus LS430 had their door handle and driver's-side door lock pried, respectively, but it was unknown if anything was taken from either vehicle.

The suspects also attempted to gain entry to a 2004 Acura by prying the driver's-side door lock, but were unsuccessful.

Police later received reports that three or four more vehicles were broken into that same day in a similar fashion.

Police did not have a total value of the property stolen, but all of the affected vehicles were damaged. East Brunswick Police Lt. William Krause noted that these types of break-ins result in damage such as dented car doors, scratched paint and ripped-out locks.

The day's events have commuters wondering whether their cars are safe after they board the bus, and whether the township, which owns and operates Neilson and one other park-and-ride on Route 18, will do anything to improve security.

"Clearly, something went wrong. I don't think anyone could consider this acceptable," said commuter Arthur Fliegelman, who is active with the East Brunswick Commuter Parking Advisory Committee.

Fliegelman said vandalism and break-ins are something of "a recurring problem" at Neilson, which is part of Tower Center, and at the Transportation and Commerce Center, which is next to Sam's Club.

"As far as I can tell, the parking utility and the township have made no effort to do anything about it," Fliegelman said.

While it does not have full-time security, the township's parking utility does employ several people who provide a presence at the park-and-rides at various times of day, according to L. Mason Neely, the township's finance director and head of parking utility. These employees include the daytime parking toll collector, a custodian, a parking supervisor who walks the lots on foot to check permits, and an assistant supervisor. Also, a security service comes on at 5 p.m. and works until 2 a.m., he said.

"We do spend an awful lot of time on security, and the police routinely ride through there," Neely said, noting that such a presence makes the park-and-rides safer than parking facilities in other towns and even safer than the lots outside township shopping malls. The township's facilities, he said, are unique in that they are "safe, secure, clean and well-lighted," with the lights being checked every day.

Nonetheless, Neely said he feels for the victims of last week's break-ins.

"These people have a right to feel like they've been violated. They have a right to be upset," he said. "We feel bad about it too, but at the same time, what can we do?"

Neely said break-ins are a rare occurrence at the park-and-rides, and he noted that there has never been a mugging or a person attacked. Still, he said officials will consider ways of making them safer. He said it is possible to increase the hours of employees for security purposes or to install security cameras - something that was considered in recent years but would have been difficult during the recent construction to rehabilitate the 18-year-old Neilson deck.

"There are a whole bunch of options," he said. "We're evaluating what has to be done."

Police do not have the manpower to provide a constant presence at the park-and-rides, but in the wake of last week's events will increase patrols, Krause said. All patrol officers have been asked to make random checks at the commuter facilities and increase their visibility.

Krause characterized the commuter vehicle break-ins as neither an everyday occurrence nor one that is limited to once a year.

"It's something that happens from time to time," he said. "There were several incidents that occurred throughout 2006."

The thieves typically go through the car for money, and often take stereos, GPS units or other items that can be sold.

"Unfortunately, people tend to leave a lot of valuable things in their cars, which draws attention to them," Krause said. "They're making themselves a target by leaving things out and visible."

That's not always the case, however. Sometimes a brand-new car is what catches a thief's eye.

In November, Steve Oppen parked his 2007 Lexus at Neilson on a Saturday morning and returned later that night to find it had been broken into. The culprits had popped out the chrome covering on a key lock and jimmied their way into the car. They then rifled through everything in the car, including the trunk, and took a radar detector and a remote for a gated community entrance. The damage to the car alone came to $2,000, which was mostly covered by insurance.

Police investigating the incident told Oppen the suspects likely had intended to steal the car, but could not because the vehicle automatically disables itself when its remote key is not used for entry.

Oppen said he would like to see more security in one form or another at the park-and-ride.

"I don't know if it would have stopped this from happening, but it would at least serve as a deterrent," he said.

While police do their part to deter and catch thieves, Krause' advice to commuters is to avoid leaving valuable and loose change out in the open. If someone must leave an item of value in the car, place it in the trunk. Thieves have a limited amount of time to work with, so they look for the vehicle that offers the best chance of yielding something valuable.

"Make sure your valuables are secure and out of sight," he said. "Doing so will increase your chances of not being the car that is broken into."