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 »

Jim and Brooke Higgins of Sweet Lucy's Smokehouse

Brooke and Jim Higgins have traveled the world, working as personal chefs and caterers for high-end clientele. Northeast native Brooke even had the experience of working under celebrity chef Todd English at his Boston restaurant, Olives.

In 2003, the couple found itself a new calling in Holmesburg, in the form of a lunch truck. With experienced culinary backgrounds and a little inspiration from their 110-pound Newfoundland, Sweet Lucy, the couple took the catering business to a whole new level.

“Brooke’s father has a business here,” said Jim, “First, we thought we were just going to park it in his parking lot and you know, end up taking it around the city. Then, one day, we decided to open up the window and see if people would come and we had such a good response, we decided to put the restaurant right here.” continue reading »

Police are searching for the man who robbed Upper Holmesburg’s Deluxe Pharmacy last month.

On March 23, the suspect showed a pharmacy employee a handgun and demanded drugs with a note. He fled on foot with Vicodin and Oxycodone. continue reading »

Take  a look at 4625, 6420 and 6855 Frankford Avenue. Do any of those addresses look like Kensington to you?

Didn’t think so. Kensington is about a mile away from the southern-most of the aforementioned addresses. So imagine our smirks when we saw the Daily News run this: continue reading »

UPDATE (4:47 p.m. Nov. 8, 2010) — Castro has pleaded not guilty, and was released on bail until trial.

An inspector with the Philadelphia Police Department has been arrested on charges of corruption.

Daniel Castro, head of the Traffic Division and former captain of the 24th District, is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s office on charges that have not yet been revealed. Castro, a Somerton resident, was also reprimanded in 1999 while working in the 16th District, when he attempted to doctor incident reports to make the district look safer, as the Inquirer reports.

A police who last month said he had been shot during a pursuit in the 19th District admitted yesterday that he made up the shooting.

Sgt. Robert Ralston, 46, of Walton Park said he was shot by a black male April 5. The subsequent investigation did not turn up a suspect who fit Ralston’s description, and many inconsistencies — including the lack of shell casings — led authorities to question the claim. continue reading »

Members of the 8th PDAC sponsored an Arbor Day event on Friday at the district.  The ceremony featured a tree dedication to remember and honor all deceased police officers who either lived or worked in the 8th Police District.

Remarks were made by our guest speakers: State Reps. Dennis O’Brien and Brendan Boyle, Fraternal Order of Police President John J. McNesby, 8th District Capt. Deborah Kelly PDAC Vice Chairman Harry Sonntag, Rev. Carl Graczyk of St Jerome parish and Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz.  The Honor Guard was comprised of the Patriot Guard Riders (U.S. military veterans), a Philadelphia Police Honor Guard and a bugler, Cpl. John Halligan.

Elsie Stevens lives in Holme Circle and is a member of the 8th PDAC. You can read all her contributions to NEast Philly here.

15th District Capt. Frank Bachmayer talks to an unusually small crowd at the March Holmesburg Civic Association meeting.

Captain Frank Bachmayer has 28 years with the Philadelphia Police Department, including his eight as captain.

And his message to residents who attended last night’s Holmesburg Civic Association is something he made sure to hammer home: the 15th District is “not the old district of 10 years ago.”

Meaning, he explained, that the busy district has its share of crime — more than just the quality of life issues some residents focus on.

Bachmayer told the 15 meeting attendees (an unusually small crowd for the HCA) that the 15th is the busiest and most populated district in Philadelphia, leading the city in robberies.  “And it’s not just in Frankford,” he emphasized. continue reading »

Lt. Bugieda of the 15th District introduces four officer, with more than 20 years of experience among them.

In honor of the Philadelphia Police Department’s PSA Week, Mayfair Town Watch hosted one of several meetings in the Northeast last night.

More than 15 people, six police officers, two politicians and other town watch presidents came together at the John Perzel Community Center Wednesday night to host a meeting for the 15th District’s Police Service Area 2.

Just one of many PSA meetings throughout the region, the purpose was to bring together all factions of the community — residents, business owners, police officers and elected officials — to unite the neighborhoods in the hopes of improving them.

“We want to stabilize neighborhoods,” Lt. Bugieda, who oversees PSA2, said. “[The community] plays a critical role there.”

In the video below, Bugieda lists the boundaries of the District’s PSA zones. continue reading »

Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

Aquan Spearman will soon go to trial after being charged with the sexual assault of three eighth-grade girls from Cooke Middle School one year ago. The assaults took place in December 2007 and January 2008, though Spearman is still awaiting trail for committing statutory rape of a 14-year-old girl in June 2006 in the Northeast.

Keep reading for news on a Washington High football player, police news and more. continue reading »