By Steve Reinbrecht
Did you know that there is an “epidemic” of day-time burglaries in rural Berks County townships?
That state police and local detectives are meeting about the problem?
To me, this is big news, a matter of public safety. Burglary rates are good measures of quality of life and security. The idea of a desperate intruder entering one’s house and tearing it apart in a search for one’s treasure is terrifying. This is why people think they need guns. I know burglary victims feel violated and may grieve over the loss of their domestic inviolability.
If people were breaking into houses in your neighborhood, wouldn’t you want to know about it? But it’s hard to understand what’s going from our local newsgathering institution, the Reading Eagle. They bury the news and scatter it on back pages.
In paragraph 10 of a column in the Eagle on Saturday, we learn that “there's been an epidemic of daytime burglaries in recent months, mostly along rural roads not far from population centers. Homes in Alsace, Lower Alsace, Ruscombmanor and Earl townships, to name a few, have been ransacked in the middle of the day.”
How about a NEWS STORY about these brazen crimes? Are they connected? How about a map? On which rural roads not far from which population centers did the victims live? When did they happen? Any descriptions? How did they get in? What was taken? What times? Any patterns? Any advice from police?
Searching the Eagle archives, my privilege as a subscriber, I discovered a lot of burglary reports. But it’s up to editors and reporters, not to mention the police, to connect the dots and spread the news.
From my sloppy and likely inaccurate notes: Two stories Jan. 25 on page B4 mentioned three break-ins reported in Earl Township and one in Oley Township. A police log item on page B5 in November mentions a burglary in Earl. In a November story on B2, way down “in other business,” the police chief tells Lower Alsace supervisors that burglaries were rising, probably due to one culprit. A story on B3 in mid-November reports three daytime burglaries in Perry, Tilden, and Centre townships. A story on page B7 on Nov. 14 reports daytime burglaries in Upper Bern and Centre townships. A community log item Dec. 8 mentions, “in other business,” that a state trooper came to an Alsace Township meeting and reported 17 burglaries in the past two years, many during the day.
The column Saturday said “I'm told state police met recently with a consortium of municipal detectives to address strategies to combat this problem.”
So why not call Trooper David C. Beohm, a state police information officer [610-378-4036] and ask him about this? Who are the detectives?
All this, but no story on A1.
More from the Reading Eagle column, in case you’re stupid:
“Burglars drive to a neighborhood and select a house where it looks like no one is home. They may park along the road or pull into the neighbor's driveway.
“They'll walk to the front door, ring the doorbell a few times, and if no one answers, break in.
“Then rummage through your drawers and take all your jewelry and other valuables.
“They have a ready excuse for any nosy neighbor who may ask why a vehicle is parked where it is.
Lots of words, few facts or new ideas. Berks needs better journalism.
