The Stamford/Clarksburg community crime watches will meet Saturday, Dec. 12, from 1 to 2:30 at the Stamford (Vt.) School.

Residents are encouraged to attend to find out what's happening in the neighborhood; a guest speaker
is expected to update us on the latest news about the recent break-ins.

Information will also be provided on a $1,000 reward posted by the Clarksburg Community Watch on the recent burglaries.

Informational hand-outs will be provided; $5 neighborhood watch signs will be for sale. Sign-up to get e-mail alerts from the Neighborhood Watch Group!

To report information, leads and tips contact the non-emergency numbers:

Vermont State Police: 802-442-5421
Clarksburg Police: 413-663-7795

Remember to call 911 IMMEDIATELY if you see anyone suspicious in your neighborhood!

For more information and updates visit your Stamford/Clarksburg volunteer group at: www.towncrimewatch.com.    

Be part of this volunteer group and help out your community. Find out what you can do to help.

Clarksburg and Stamford, Vt., residents can now keep up with local crime-watch events through a new Web site, Neighborhood Watch.

The site includes feeds of a Facebook page created shortly after several reported burglaries in the two towns, contact information for the two town's crime watch groups, how to report a crime and tips to prevent becoming a victim.

To post to the site, you must become a fan of Town Crime Watch on Facebook.

According to a post on the site, Clarksburg Community Watch members are planning a $1,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of what they believe is a second burglar.

Police say Stefan Veremko of Pittsfield is connected to multiple break-ins in the county, including at least two of the four recent ones in Clarksburg. His girlfriend, Tara Malloy, a former Clarksburg resident, has been cooperating with police and is expected to be charged as well.

Vermont State Police say Veremko will also be charged with two break-ins in Readsboro, two in Searsburg and one in Stamford. Stamford has had two recent break-ins.

A number of Clarksburg residents believe that another person is responsible for those burglaries so far not connected to Veremko.

Update at 2:47 p.m.:   Town Administrator Michael Canales has informed us that the utility company will not give permission to post crime watch signs on its poles because of liability issues.

However,  "if people have signs they want posted, they can bring them to Town Hall, myself or Chief Williams, and let us know what street they want them on and we will place them on street sign posts," says Canales.

Original post:

I wasn't able to get to Lenox on Thursday but the story appeared in both The Transcript and The Eagle this morning. It should be available here for about a week.

At least one Clarksburg couple, Valerie and John Wilson,  found personal property in the hundreds of items taken from the arrest of Stefan Veremko.

There's been a lot of talk about Veremko not being charged in the Clarksburg burglaries. This may be jurisictional; he may have to be arraigned in Northern Berkshire District Court. If it's a matter of "receiving stolen goods," they not have to charge him up here. I'm trying to find that out.

There's also been questions of why Clarksburg is continually left off the list of towns in which the break-ins have happened. This is an error promulgated by the first press release from Lenox that omitted the town. The newspapers keep running the incorrect list (cut & paste?).

Next: Veremko's believed to involved in two to four break-ins; there have been six in Clarksburg since September. At least two break-ins he's not suspected in because of what was taken and the seeming familiarity the perpretator had with the home. (I read "friend or family member" in that.)

I also received this from the Stamford Community Watch regarding reports of break-ins on Hudson and Pine in Clarksburg:

"Regarding Pine Ave. & Hudson Brook. It has been reported that there has been "suspicious" circumstances at a home on each street recently. Homeowners reported that there were unusual things at the houses, mainly with an outside entrance. Again, we don't have reports of a break-in, just that they indicated unusual circumstances."

Still have a call into Vermont state police; still haven't gotten back to me.
 

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — More than 30 residents packed into the Selectmen's meeting on Wednesday night to find out more about the investigation into a half-dozen break-ins here and in nearby Stamford, Vt.

The arrest of a suspect in a rash of burglaries stretching from Southern Vermont to South County has calmed some fears but residents are continuing their crime watch with the support of town officials and police.

"The best [law enforcement] tool is community involvement and looking out for each other," said Selectman Carl McKinney.

"This is really just great to see the community doing something like this," said Selectwoman Lily Kuzia. "I think it's wonderful."

But if the audience was hoping for more, they were reminded by Police Chief Michael Williams that it was completely within their power to hire more officers and schedule more patrols — by voting for funding.

"[You] approve what the schedule is by approving the town budget," he said.

Officials began the meeting by getting right to the issue with a statement read by Town Administrator Michael Canales that detailed the timeline of the most recent break-ins and the collaborative work that Williams had done with local police agencies and state police crime scene services — short-circuiting recent complaints that the town had failed to call in troopers.

In fact, when it came time for public comments, the crowd remained silent, leading Chairwoman Debra LeFave to quip: "What are you all doing here?"

At least two of four break-ins in town (and possibly a third) since the end of October have been connected by police to Stefan E. Veremko, 28, of Pittsfield, and his girlfriend, Tara Malloy, a former Clarksburg resident. Two in Stamford, Vt., also may be linked to Veremko.

He was arrested on Friday after a sharp-eyed probate officer reported his car fleeing from a daytime burglary in Lenox. Veremko pleaded not guilty on Monday to multiple counts of larceny and breaking and entering in Southern Berkshire District Court. He is being held on $10,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond. Malloy is reporting cooperating but is also likely to be charged.

The recent break-ins became general knowledge after Stamford Selectmen requested a public meeting with state troopers and deputy sheriffs more than two weeks ago. A number of Clarksburg residents attended that meeting to voice concerns. More than 120 residents of both towns came together this past Saturday to discuss ways to create neighborhood crime watches and better secure their homes.

Williams said investigators were still following the evidence and others may be implicated in the string of break-ins here and in other towns. They did not appear to be related to several break-ins last year, some which have been closed, he said, and it was still unclear if Veremko was connected to some burglaries back in September.

But while the pieces of this puzzle were falling into place, said the chief, "there's no guarantee that someone else is not going to break into your house."

The town has a handful of break-ins a year, but it's been a clear trend that the small police force is having to deal more with criminal activity than traffic violations. Williams described it as "a societal trend" in which property theft is becoming more common.

"You're not giving me the warm and fuzzies," said one resident. Canales assured them that the town has mutual aid with the other county agencies, meaning North Adams or state police could also respond as needed. But he also pointed out that it took a lucky break for Lenox and its much bigger police force to nab the suspect.

Williams also encouraged residents to continue calling in suspicious behavior, and reminding them that police can't just arrest, search or interrogate people simply on suspicion. 

"Legally I can talk to anyone but they don't have to talk to me," he said.

Officials said they'd find out about posting crime watch posters on utility poles and getting a street light on a dark corner of MacArthur Drive in response to questions. They also passed out refrigerator magnets with emergency numbers: Call 911 in an emergency, the police/fire dispatch in North Adams at 663-3313 to report a crime or police business phone to report suspicious behavior or make an appointment.

"I hope we have allayed some of your fears," said LeFave. "But we don't have all the answers."

I know some Clarksburg residents are planning to attend tonight's Selectmen's meeting about the burglaries. I'll be there as well.

For those in Stamford, I've also put in a call to the state police about the break-ins there. I was told Trooper Jesse Robeson is working the investigation but he hadn't gotten back to me this afternoon.

I'm also going to Lenox tomorrow to find out about  the all the evidence picked up after Veremko's arrest.