A suspect is seen climbing a homeowner's fence to break into a Bustleton property. Image/Philadelphia Police

A surveillance camera and burglary alarm may prove helpful to the 7th District Police as the officers look for the suspects wanted in connection with a break-in Monday.

Two males were seen on video scaling a privacy fence in the back of a home on the 9200-block of Masland Street in Bustleton around 6 p.m. Monday. But when the burglary alarm went off when they broke through the door, both suspects fled. continue reading »

This suspect is wanted for robbery in the 7th District. Image/Philadelphia Police

Police in the 7th District are looking for the man who robbed an elderly woman on her way home from the supermarket.

The 94-year-old was on the 8300-block of Loretto Avenue Sunday after a trip to nearby Bell’s Market. The suspect can be seen on surveillance video sneaking up behind the woman, knocking her over as he grabs her purse, and then running in the opposite direction. continue reading »

Capt. Joseph Zaffino of the 7th Police District issued a burglary notice Wednesday for residents on the 9800-block of Cowden Street and surrounding blocks in Bustleton.

“Be advised that there was a burglary on the 9800-block of Cowden Street during this past weekend. From talking to a witness, there was a 6-foot tall, white male — dark, short leather jacket, a hoodie sweat jacket, with the hoodie over his head — seen in the area just prior to the burglary.

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The FBI and police in the 7th District are searching for two men wanted for a Bustleton bank robbery in August. The suspects are believed to be the same two who robbed a Flourtown bank four days later.

On Aug. 20, the armed suspects demanded money from a teller at the TD Bank branch at 9996 Haldeman Ave. The teller cooperated and the suspects fled.

They are described as follows: continue reading »

Capt. Joseph Zaffino of the 7th District issued a burglary alert yesterday in response to an uptick in certain parts of the district:

“7th District residents be alert for a number of burglaries occurring in a concentrated area our of district.

The blocks include the 9200-block of Old Bustleton Avenue, 1900 Nester Place, 9100 Bickley Street and 9200 Masland Street. continue reading »

The Somerton Civic Association met for its regular monthly meeting Tuesday to discuss a variety of issues within the community. The first issue addressed was the recent resignation of the association’s vice president, Michael Smith. The board encouraged members to step up and put themselves in the running for the position. Whoever is elected will serve until June 2012, when elections for the entire board will take place. “We would love to see some new blood,” Pat Cantwell remarked.

The board also thanked everyone who participated in the Community Day event last month. The only issue with the event was that the members wished they had more time to plan the festivities. It was noted that if there is a Community Day in 2012, it would be held in the beginning of October.

Officer Rich Simon spoke to the association about recent criminal activity in the area. In the last month there have been 11 burglaries, either physical or attempted.

“Keep your windows and doors locked. Be vigilant,” warned Simon. One patron expressed concern about the delayed response time of police officers to the area when called.

“It took 2 ½ hours for an officer to respond to my call,” said the upset community member, who would not go into specifics of the issue. Another issue brought to attention was the sighting of teenagers partying around the Red Lion Bridge on nights and weekends. Simon urged community members to document any incidents by calling 911. A complete video of Officer Simon’s report is available below. continue reading »

The area between Rhawn Street, Krewstown Road, Grant Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard has seen a spike in burglaries.

The following is a message from 7th District Capt. Joe Zaffino:

7th District residents, please be advised that there has been a spike in burglaries within the boundaries of Grant Avenue to Rhawn Street and Roosevelt Boulevard to Krewstown Road. continue reading »

UPDATE: The victim in the car has been identified at 25-year-old Landis Carter of the 2300-block of Tremont Street.

Police in the 2nd and 7th Districts are busy today searching for suspects in two separate incidents that took place early this morning.

Around 1:30 a.m., a teenager delivering pizza was robbed and stabbed by a group of three males on the 6100-block of Belden Street in Oxford Circle. Five hours later, police in the 7th District were called to the Plaza Towers Apartments on the 2300-block of Tremont Street where a man was shot in his car. continue reading »

Gianna Rosati and 8th District Officer Trisha Rosati get a moment to talk. Photo/George Mai

Residents of the 2nd, 7th and 8th Police Districts came together at two separate events Tuesday night for one cause: National Night Out. Communities around the country locked their doors, turned the outside lights on and gathered at neighborhood events to meet with each other, their police officers and community and political leaders.

Below are slideshows from the events in the Northeast. continue reading »

Click here for the audio slideshow that accompanies this article.

Burglaries have recently been a hot topic for residents in the Northeast. But what exactly constitutes a burglary? Many confuse the term with theft or robbery.

Burglaries fall under an entirely different category. The term is defined as the act of entering a building with the intent to commit a crime without a weapon.

Last year, there were 2,432 burglaries that took place in the Northeast. The 2nd, 7th, 8th and 15th Police Districts have been making appearances at local civic group meetings to address residents’ concerns.

Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey was present at the Lawncrest Community Association’s meeting last week, where burglaries was just one of many topics he discussed with residents.

“We’re [the City of Philadelphia] up in burglaries.” he said “A lot of it is residential. There’s some commercial burglaries, so some areas are seeing an upward trend in that. Burglary across the country is not an easy crime to solve. Usually there are no witnesses. Usually there is very little, if any forensic evidence that you can gather at the scene.”

The Philadelphia Police Department’s new interactive Crime Mapping application was created as part of its Incident Transmittal System and gives the public free access to criminal data that is recorded in their neighborhoods. continue reading »