By Carol P. Bartold

Oct. 12. 2016:  Although there might appear to be a recent rise in criminal activity in Bronxville, Police Chief Christopher Satriale stated that the Bronxville Police Department is not seeing a sharp increase.

"We're not seeing a spike," Satriale said. "We had three burglaries back-to-back within a four-week period, and I think that heightens everyone's awareness and draws attention to the crimes." He added that the figure of ten burglaries committed year-to-date in the village is identical to the number committed at this same time last year.

Satriale also credited the Swiftreach alerts, available to all residents, merchants, and visitors to the village, for raising awareness of suspicious activity. "The notification system is so effective," he said, "that more people are aware of what is going on in the village." Subscribers receive telephone messages and can also receive email and text alerts in the event of an emergency or when important information needs to be shared.

Satriale urges everyone to sign up for the Swiftreach alerts at this link.

Neighboring jurisdictions, Satriale noted, are experiencing crimes similar to those being committed in Bronxville. "We are working with departments in many of those jurisdictions to identify suspects, specifically in the attempted burglary on Fordal Road in September." Evidence from that incident is in the process of being analyzed and processed at the Westchester County Division of Forensic Services.

Although a burglary was reported on Oriole Avenue on Friday, October 7, the chief stated that the house had sat empty since early September and that the department is confident that this incident and the Fordal Road attempt happened at around the same time.

Chief Satriale emphasized that two recent automobile thefts as well as the thefts of contents from automobiles occurred when vehicles were left unlocked, sometimes with the keys inside. "None of them were break-ins," he said. "It would be helpful if people lock their cars." The department has recovered one stolen vehicle and made two arrests based on that recovery.

Satriale reported that officers have identified two or three suspects in the auto thefts who entered the village on bicycles.

Police departments in Eastchester and Tuckahoe are joining the Bronxville Police Department in auto theft investigations, as those communities have experienced the same types of incidents.

Satriale urges residents, merchants, and visitors to contact the department immediately upon seeing or hearing anything they deem suspicious. "That's why we're here," he said. "We need to know at that time what's going on. Our response time is one minute or less in emergencies."