New York Mills has experienced a rash of break-ins to garages, residences, and especially vehicles in the area.
Even though the New York Mills Police Department has solved a number of these incidents and have charges pending against several individuals, we are requesting assistance from the public in helping us prevent and/or solve these crimes.
NY Mills Police Chief Brian Nelson has the following message to the community.
First of all, we would ask that you lock your vehicle everytime you exit it. Thieves are opportunists and lazy by nature so they don't want to expend any more energy than they have to. If a thief checks out your car and discovers the doors are locked, he will generally move on. I hear many people say, "I've never had to lock my vehicle before, so why should I have to now?" Well, the sad truth is our society has changed and many of the problems that once were mostly confined to metro areas have come to roost in our rural communities.
Also, please lock your house and outbuildings and keep your garage door closed when you are not home. Here again, why make it easy for the bad guys? And don't leave items of value lying around the yard.
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Another thing you can do to help us with this problem is to call the police department if you see suspicious characters walking around, especially late at night. The City of New York Mills has a curfew which prohibits anyone under 18 to be out after 11 p.m. unless otherwise directed by a parent. The Police Dept. does enforce this ordinance so if a citizen reports any possible juveniles out after curfew to our office, we will investigate.
Remember, you know your neighborhood better than we, the police, will ever know your neighborhood. If something looks or feels wrong to you, trust your instincts and report it to us. If it turns out to be a "false alarm," so be it. Your identity will be kept confidential so there should be no fear of repercussions.
Law enforcement can only be truly effective when the public is cooperative and offers its assistance. Please let us all work together so we can keep the reputation of New York Mills of being a great place to live and work.
