Scotland’s new liaison officer with the Connecticut State Police offered some security tips to members of the town’s Neighborhood Watch Committee at a March 26 meeting.
Making one’s house look lived in, installing a wireless camera, and even keeping a big dog can serve as deterrents to would-be criminals, said Sgt. Bruce Taylor of Troop D in Danielson. So can vigilant and alert neighbors armed with cameras on their cellphones and access to social media.
“You know what cars belong in the neighborhood and which ones don’t,” he said.
If an unfamiliar car shows up down the street, “pretend to walk your dog and get a plate number. You guys are one of the biggest assets we have.”
Scotland First Selectman Dan Syne said that the crime-watch group has been meeting on and off for several years, prompted by a spike in break-ins a few years ago. While there’s currently no serious crime spree causing issues, residents at the meeting voiced concerns about problems ranging from prowlers to loud music to dirt bike racing on neighborhood streets.
“I think we’re a pretty quiet town,” said resident Jennifer Nelson. “But just because you’re out here in the middle of nowhere, things happen anyway. This is a very rural district and we’re very dependent on the state police.”
Scotland had its own municipal police force in the 1950s and 1960s, said Syne, but over the years the constabulary force was disbanded and “went by the wayside.” Curiously, according to an outdated state statute from the 1920s or 1930s, as the head of a town without its own police force, he is considered the town’s de facto police chief, despite his lack of training or experience, he said.
While Scotland currently has no resident trooper, Taylor is considered its liaison with Troop D. Taylor urged residents who see suspicious or potentially criminal activity to call 911 or the Troop D office.
“Don’t ever hesitate to use the 911 system. That’s what it’s for,” he said. “If we do our due diligence together, we can really do something.”
Taylor said that state police use DNA, rather than fingerprinting, to identify perpetrators of crimes. However, that database only includes criminals who already have a felony conviction. Witnesses who can give accurate and detailed descriptions of suspects and their vehicles can be of immense help to police, he said.
While social media can be used as a tool to alert neighbors to suspicious activity, it can also reveal information to criminals, Taylor said. People should avoid posting about their upcoming vacations, and should even think twice about what attractive belongings – like big-screen TVs – are in the background of the photos they post. Keeping settings private limits the availability of this information to the outside world, he said.
“It’s not the good old days, when you could trust anybody,” he said. “[Criminals] know that in these small towns, people are out working all day.”
Locking doors to homes and cars is always prudent, he said.
Taylor encouraged residents who will be away from home for an extended period to notify Troop D to their plans, so that a trooper can drop by their property periodically to check that all is well. The notification form is available at town hall, he said.
Syne said that he’d like to see the neighborhood watch committee meet several times a year, and tentatively planned a meeting for July. Details of the date and time will be posted in the Highland Herald, the town’s monthly newsletter, as well as on the town website and Facebook page.
“The best way for us to protect the quality of life here is to work together,” said Syne.
