Beefed up efforts in Shohola; String of burglaries continues

Vera Moret
Posted 8/21/12

SHOHOLA, PA — Shohola Township is generally a very quiet, peaceful and safe place. While it covers over 46 square miles, its population is only about 2,100. Much of the land is state game land, and …

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Beefed up efforts in Shohola; String of burglaries continues

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SHOHOLA, PA — Shohola Township is generally a very quiet, peaceful and safe place. While it covers over 46 square miles, its population is only about 2,100. Much of the land is state game land, and much of its actual area is covered by water. There is the Delaware River, and also countless creeks and lakes. The people who live here are largely working-class and live here year round. While there are seasonal dwellers, there are few communities that cater to that lifestyle. Everyone knows everyone, though people enjoy their privacy. There is crime, but the community is fortunate enough to have a full-time police chief along with a part-time deputy and another part-time one in the works.

There is one individual who is committing burglaries. His method is simple. It requires no particular skill other than the ability to open doors—both cars and homes. He dresses in dark clothes, a simple way to not be seen seeking cover for his crimes in the dead of night.

The community has a good idea about his appearance. All witnesses, and the number is growing, estimated his height at six foot two. He wears a ski mask, a black hoodie, narrow black pants and black sneakers with a white stripe. He also wears a black belt that probably has several small tools hanging from it. He is fast. When he is seen, he runs away. He may not have grown up in this area, otherwise he is unlikely to realize that in this community of hunters, the majority of the population legally owns guns, and are very adept at using them. He may also not be stealing from people he knows.

Police from other departments have been brought in to help in the investigation; cameras have been installed. Dogs have been brought in for tracking. At some point, the community believes someone will be able to pull off the ski mask he wears; or to corner him with a weapon, or he may be caught through the use of technology.

He strikes the same places more than once. On Wednesday, September 9, the thief entered the Culvert Hill home of Gina Conroy for at least the fourth time. Conroy says she has kept her home locked tight. Yet, when she went into her purse to give her son $300, her purse was empty. She assumes the perpetrator entered through the basement door. The bedroom being on the second floor, it would be nearly impossible to hear any tampering of the door two stories down. Conroy is a school teacher, and the thief has stolen more than $1,000 from her over the summer.

Shohola police chief and lead investigator Scott Carney was joined by Lt. Christopher Paris, commander of the Blooming Grove State Police Barracks; and Milford District Attorney Raymond Tonklin at the township meeting on September 11. Tonklin explained some of the additional tactics now being used in the investigation. Trail cameras are in use on both state game-land property, and some homeowners have taken it upon themselves to add security devices not simply to protect their own homes, but also to assist in capturing the thief.

The police response times vary widely depending on where the closest vehicle happens to be. It has recently varied between half an hour and an hour and a half. Resident Lane Keller commented several times and she feels that the situation warrants 24-hour police coverage, but this is deemed to be impossible for many reasons, as is the use of a dog specifically allocated for this case.

While the township is in the process of hiring a new part-time officer, Carney said this is not a process that can be rushed. Even after the hiring of a new officer, there is extensive training involved before he can be placed on the job. Someone suggested hiring more, which as resident Carrie White noted, would certainly raise local taxes.

Since the thief appears to utilize the railroad tracks as well as the woods to reach and leave his destinations, a suggestion was made that perhaps the railroad could place cameras along the stretch that is utilized most frequently by the perp. The board laughed this off, as there appears not to be a history of good communication and cooperation with the railroad. Private citizens, however, were encouraged to use private cameras on their own properties, as well as to utilize their cell phones, if they have an opportunity to take his picture.

A neighborhood watch may soon be organized, of which the board approved. However, since so many of the local residents do own legal firearms, they were anxious to know what their rights were if in terms of utilizing them.

Paris said issues like this are taken on a case-by-case basis. If one is faced with an armed intruder in one’s own home, and feels one is in imminent danger, the shooting will most likely be ruled as self defense. However, if one notes someone going through one’s car at a distance, one has no right to shoot the individual. Residents were urged to be careful to remain on the proper side of the law.

One of the major complaints regarding these robberies has been the lack of information disseminated and communication between the board, law enforcement and the people of Shohola. For months, there was no way of discerning truth from rumor. Resident Irwin Trapp suggested that police might write up a weekly update on any new crimes or information on the Shohola Township website to keep the public updated.

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