Beacon Police Blotter

Edited by Michael Daecher

From January 1 to February 16 the Beacon Police Department responded to roughly 1,540 calls. About 30% of these were traffic stops, some of which resulted in arrest. Others were false alarms. But there were also a good number of crimes involving theft or violence against a person. Some of these calls seem similar, but there are important differences. For instance, larceny is theft whereas robbery is theft with the threat of violence.

A new feature in the Beacon Dispatch, the police blotter will report the previous months crimes to help keep you informed and help you stay safe.

Date            Location            Call Type
1/4/2006    40 Rector St.      Burglary
1/5/2006    3 Beekman St    Larceny
1/5/2006    129 Main St.    Burglary
1/6/2006    27 Rector St    Robbery
1/6/2006    10 Hasting Dr    Larceny
1/7/2006    10 Larch St        Drug Activity
1/8/2006    365 Main St        Fight
1/8/2006    Mt. Beacon        Shots Fired
1/9/2006    Wodell St        Larceny
1/10/2006    400 Fishkill Ave    Larceny
1/10/2006    10 Hasting Dr    Larceny
1/10/2006    7 Delavan Ave    Assault

1/11/2006    Wilkes St        Fight
1/11/2006    Rector St        Larceny
1/12/2006    220 Main St        Hit and Run Auto
1/12/2006    123 East Main    Sexual Assault
1/13/2006    21 Dennings Ave    Criminal Mischief
1/13/2006    77 North Elm    Larceny
1/14/2006    261 Main St        Fight
1/14/2006    469 Fishkill Ave    Aggravated Harassment
1/14/2006    352 Main St        Criminal Mischief
1/16/2006    330 Main St        Fight
1/16/2006    2 Louisa St        Fight
1/16/2006    East Main St    ATV Complaint
1/17/2006    390 Main St        Larceny
1/17/2006    Hammonds Field    Criminal Mischief
1/18/2006    260 Liberty St.    Assault
1/20/2006    272 Fishkill Ave    Burglary
1/20/2006    100 Sterling St    Burglary
1/20/2006    Main St/S. Walnut    Drug Activity
1/20/2006    East Main St    Fight w/ Weapons
1/21/2006    145 Fishkill Ave    Fight
1/21/2006    Delavan Ave        Larceny
1/22/2006    10 Hasting Dr    Larceny
1/22/2006    Hastings Dr        Fight
1/23/2006    25 S. Walnut St    Drug Activity
1/23/2006    Matteawan Rd    Assault
1/25/2006    22 Willow St    Larceny
1/26/2006    8 Colonial Rd    Burglary
1/27/2006    Main St         Fight
1/28/2006    4 S Cedar St    Fight
1/28/2006    469 Fishkill Ave    Fight
1/28/2006    116 East Main    Fight
1/28/2006    Rt 9D            ATV Complaint
1/28/2006    S Walnut St        Drug Activity
1/28/2006    27 Mellio Bettina    Robbery
1/29/2006    329 Main St        Fight
1/30/2006    133 Verplanck Ave    Burglary
2/1/2006    Main St        Robbery
2/1/2006    Walcott Ave        Criminal Mischief
2/1/2006    72 Asylum Rd    Fight
2/1/2006    15 Fishkill Ave    Burglary
2/2/2006    South Ave        Larceny
2/2/2006    311 Hudson Ave    Aggravated Harassment
2/2/2006    Main St        Hit and Run Auto
2/2/2006    Main St        Drug Activity
2/3/2006    101 Matteawan Rd    Fight
2/4/2006    34 Spring Valley     Assault
2/4/2006    Fishkill Ave    Disorderly Group
2/5/2006    150 Mountain Ln    Hit and Run Auto
2/6/2006    436 Fishkill Ave    Fight
2/6/2006    50 N. Elm St    Aggravated Harassment
2/6/2006    301 Meadow Ridge    Burglary Attempt
2/6/2006    1256 North Ave    Robbery
2/7/2006    12 Brady Lane    Drug Activity
2/7/2006    478 Main St        Hit and Run Auto
2/7/2006    Main St        Hit and Run Auto
2/11/2006    10 Hasting Dr    Larceny
2/13/2006    404 Main St        Robbery
2/13/2006    31 Eliza St        Larceny
2/13/2006    40 Vine St        Burglary
2/13/2006    Verplanck Ave    Hit and Run Auto
2/13/2006    41 Eliza St        Fight
2/14/2006    116 East Main    Burglary
2/14/2006    Deerfield Pl    Larceny
2/15/2006    36 Church St    Fight

Comments

[billp]

great let the tourest see the real beacon the the yuppie's want to hide in the dark. and let the truth be knowen i just hope you have enough brains not to print names of aresst because they are inocent untill a court say they have guilt

[A]

What's with all the Hit and Runs? Do you know if those are people being hit or just a scratch/dent on a parked car?

[B. Eakins]

Since the city no longer has a local newspaper little is to be found in the Pokeepsie Journal about Beacon unless it is outrageous or controversial. Nice to have a source of information other the the chatter in local gathering places. Not to rain on billp's parade but once a person is charged the court proceedings are a matter of public record and are subject to being viewed and published. Then, of course, there is always recourse to the Freedom of Information laws.

[mike]

B.Eakins - I hope you are not suggesting that the Beacon Dispatch is a newspaper. It is just a printed version of this blogg, with advertising. The Dispatch articles are the opinions of those who put it together.

[B. Eakins]

The Dispatch is what it is and can be characterized in whatever fashion the publishers wish. I refer to it only as a source of information which would not otherwise be available in print. The print version would, however, fit within the most definitions of newspaper in that it is "a publication containing news and opinions of current events, feature articles and usually, advertising..." I applaud the publishers for making the Dispatch available, though I reserve the right to disagree with them. Nobody has an absolute lock on the truth, not even, I must admit, myself, though that is only a pesonal opinion.

[Joe Reporter]

And the benefit of posting these blotter entries is what? Just more irresponsible Beacon Dispatch "journalism" if you ask me. Maybe a statistical comparison to other communities the size of Beacon might be meaningful. All you are doing is stirring the pot with no balanced reporting or maybe you missed that class is college.

[B. Eakins]

Is it really that dangerous for citizens of the city to have access to raw data which has not been digested, analyzed and then provided to them along with the author's view of what it means, or should mean? It may well be that it would be in the best interest of the city to regularly provide a meaningful overview and comparison of the information. The citizenry can then make informed judgements about the material rather than relying on word of mouth and the opinions of a select few. In free discussion and debate the public has an uncanny knack for separating the wheat from the chaff. Assuming, of course, that the facts are not hidden from them or revealed only after review and redaction by those with an agenda.

[Mike D]

Joe Reporter,

If you want to know where we stand on the definition of journalism, you might want to check out this editorial we published in December 2004.

[Chris A.]

I'm pleased to see the police blotter in the current issue.
I had desired such a source of data after discussions this past fall with residents on the west end of main and their stories of incidents that had been occurring. I was hearing anectdotal information that could be of concern to the public, but it was going largely unnoticed. This should add a context to the to the bigger picture.
As B. Eakins stated, there is a need for disseminating this type of info.
I think sharing this kind of information is positive and allows a better understanding of the place we live.

[billp]

yes it is true it is public record but you are inocent till acourt says your not so i hope you follow up on any aresst and if the charges get droped you state it a lot of news papers have been delt heavy civle penalties for slander in their reports.

[joe papa]

these stats have to b wrong. b/c if u read the articles on mr. brauns law suit sfinch states that the detective have nothing to do but investigate other officers who receive awards.

[billp]

joe pappa we both know this is yellow news i think they need some prozac then maybee they can have a life. i grew up in beacon and beacon is a great town but maybee some one should do some digging on the ones writing the complants here and check their sources to see what their creadit to there worth is?

[joe papa]

i totally agree with u billp. i myself grew up in beacon and if it wasnt for the pd, building dept., fd and the past and present admin. beacon would not look the way it does today. it is a pleasure to c new business coming into town and main st could not look any better. although we cant hide the fact that beacon has crime. the crime rate is not like it was 15 or 20 years ago b/c of the above. i guess that is y some of the po's find enough time to harass elderly church goers with handicap signs hanging from there rear view mirror's (too much time on there hands), and maybe that is y the city has so many law suit's pending b/c of ego and pride.

[rebekah]

i dont think police are helpful i have had threats and arasment and nothink as been done they are a waste of good money