Branford Police Warn Boaters to Beware of Theft

Branford Police Captain Geoffrey Morgan said officers are actively patrolling the Branford River after noticing an uptick in theft from docked boats in area marinas. Morgan stated that four to five boats were targeted from July 23 to 27 and items like fishing poles, reels and tackle were taken from vessels. Police have no leads at this time but will continue to patrol the marinas by boat at designated times when they believe the crime is occurring. Since July 27, there have been no reports of theft.

Though the rash of burglaries seem to have subsided, Morgan said that the department is still actively patrolling. “We understand not all thefts get reported, we estimated, more than likely, others were occurring,” he said.

Branford patrols the area with the 24-foot Boston Whaler police boat. Morgan stated that police believe all thefts were done from water and not dry land.

Though there have been no reported thefts thus far this year from , Marina Office Manager Tom Raiola said they have warned boaters to secure their items. “They should be conscious,” he commented, “of any loose gear and the contents of the boats.”

After having boaters loose more than $50,000 in merchandise about eight years ago due to theft, Raiola stated that they Marina invested heavily in sophisticated surveillance equipment to curb the amount of theft. Since doing so, he noted that crime has dramatically dropped. Raiola also credits the police department’s proactive measures as a method of crime prevention and reduction.

In what Morgan calls exercising “capable guardianship,” the police MATRIX unit visited with the town’s marinas educating the staff about the importance of safeguarding belongings. With the boating season nearing its 2011-year-end, Morgan said the number of thefts from marinas has dropped.

Raiola advised boaters to remove all lose items after docking boats – especially electronic unites, which can be worth thousands of dollars. Likewise, fishing gear can also be worth hundreds. Raiola also implores boaters to take note of the serial numbers on their equipment so if items are stolen, there is a recod of what was taken.

Morgan asks boaters to be on the lookout for suspicious craft in the water late at night and urges residents to record the boat registration number if suspicious activity is observed. If you see anything out of the ordinary, call the Branford Police at 203-481-4241.