Burglaries take a dive

When Shorewood Police Chief David Banaszynski began his career there nearly 30 years ago, the relationship between the department and residents was a formal one at best.

But today, improved communications technology and a greater sense of community have turned a once forced friendship into an understanding which, according to area police chiefs, is the key to fighting crime.

And they might be right, as the number of burglaries reported in the North Shore is down 24 percent over the last five years, and at its lowest levels since 2002.

Banaszynski says since he began at the Shorewood Police Department in 1981, one difference has stood out above all the rest when he looks back at his time as a cop.

"The biggest change I've seen in the 30 years is that the community is becoming more of a community," he said. "They didn't want to get involved (in the past)."

Thanks to stepped up police efforts, easier communication between residents and police, and more resident awareness, Banaszynski says the North Shore's atmosphere is becoming more conducive to crime prevention.

"The (North Shore) community as a whole is becoming more aware of their neighbors and helping their neighbors," he said. "They help us by reporting more items, by reporting more crimes, by reporting more suspicious activity, instead of just going about their business and saying, 'Oh, the police will handle that.' "

Technological aids

There were 43 burglaries reported in Shorewood in 2009, a 24 percent drop from 2008. Banaszynski attributes that decline to increased efforts from his staff, new technologies available to law enforcement and better awareness from residents.

"(The decrease in burglaries) is a combination of residents doing what they're supposed to do and our officers being well trained and well-equipped, and going out and doing their job," he said.

Banaszynski says new software allows his officers to analyze crime data to map "hot areas" in which burglaries are more frequent. Once these areas are outlined, it's simply a matter of stepping up police presence.

"We send officers out in unmarked cars, we send them out on bicycles and we send them out on foot," said Banaszynski. "We do what we need to do to catch people."

The Shorewood Police Department also has started using a web service called Nixle, a Twitter-like service that Banaszynski uses to stay in touch with Shorewood residents on a moment's notice. If a string of burglaries occur in the same area or residents report a suspicious vehicle, police can have that information up on the Internet as fast as they can type it.

"We're trying to make people aware," said Banaszynski, "because the more awareness we have the better chance we have of catching (burglars)."

Shorewood isn't the only department that saw a drop in burglaries last year. The number of burglaries reported in the nine North Shore communities in 2009 was 177. That's a 19 percent drop from 2008 and the lowest total since 171 were reported in 2002.

United effort

Whitefish Bay Police Chief Robert Jacobs said burglaries are most likely committed by groups of people who strike in multiple communities, so it often takes a collaborative effort to take them down.

"When there are burglaries happening, they're happening in other communities as well in the North Shore and even Milwaukee County," said Jacobs. "You have all the law enforcement agencies working collectively on it."

The key, according to Jacobs, is communication between police departments.

"Our officers and detectives, as well as in all of Milwaukee County, are constantly sharing information about what's occurring, about suspects and vehicles. And usually that information sharing leads to a quicker apprehension than just one community working alone," he said.

As much as new technologies and interdepartmental police communication help to curb burglaries in the North Shore, both Banaszynski and Jacobs were adamant that most burglaries could have been avoided with simple precautions such as locking doors, keeping houses lighted and leaving garages closed and locked throughout the day.

Not all crime is down

Despite the drop in burglaries last year, the total number of serious crimes reported in North Shore communities in 2009 was virtually unchanged over the previous year, according to new figures from the state Office of Justice Assistance.

Reports of violent crime - murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault - fell from 98 to 85, a 13 percent decline. The number of property crimes - burglary, theft, vehicle theft and arson - rose by 1 percent, from 2,256 to 2,268.

In contrast to the decline in burglaries, the North Shore saw a 23 percent increase in reported thefts over the last five years.

Of all the North Shore communities, Glendale saw the highest increase in thefts. Police Chief Thomas Czarnyszka said that can largely be attributed to the reopening of the Bayshore Town Center.

"(When the Bayshore Mall closed for construction) we saw our overall crime numbers go down almost 20 percent," said Czarnyszka. "In 2007, as the mall started to get going and more stores moved in, we saw that our crime numbers came back up to normal levels."

Czarnyszka said Glendale's crime statistics as a whole are and always will be largely influenced by what happens at the mall.

"Our numbers and statistics are a slave to retail theft," he said. "Generally speaking, it drives our crime rate."

Shorewood and Whitefish Bay also suffered from an increase in reported thefts. An increase, according to Jacobs, that might have been spurred by the recession.

"The biggest increase I've seen (in the last five years) has been in thefts, and there can be a lot of contributing factors, including the economy," said Jacobs. "When there's higher unemployment and poverty more property crimes occur."

Although the numbers indicate that theft is on the rise, Czarnyszka, Jacobs and Banaszynski characterize a large percentage of their thefts as avoidable.

Banaszynski also says that safe communities like the North Shore fool people into thinking that leaving their property unlocked or unattended is alright, when in reality, it increases the odds of it being stolen.

The police chiefs agree the easiest ways to curb theft in the North Shore are removing valuables from vehicles (or at least keep them out of sight), keeping vehicles locked and locking up bicycles. These are crimes of opportunity and by keeping things locked and out of sight, potential thieves won't have a reason to break into cars or take bikes in the first place.

"Be aware of your surroundings," said Czarnyszka. "Secure your valuables and take some basic crime prevention measures to protect yourself so you're not a victim. Make them go somewhere else."

Crime in the North Shore

Notes: There were no murders in 2008 and 2009 in the North Shore; Shorewood had three and five arsons in 2008 and 2009, respectively.

Source: Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance