People Living in Groton Military Housing Raise Safety Concerns

Police are investigating at least two break-ins that happened Sunday night

Residents of military housing in Groton are on edge after some have reported break-ins.

Other residents have told police they have spotted a peeping Tom.

Jacqueline Clements, who lives in Trident Park, said she came home Sunday night to find the back door of her home wide open.

“When I left, the bowl was here on the patio. There were a lot of things that could have easily been taken that weren't," Clements said.

Her husband is in the Navy and has been deployed for the last five months. After finding her door open, she got in her car and drove up the street before calling police.

Police confirm there were two break-ins Sunday night.

Residents have taken to a Facebook Group to share their experiences and create a timeline of incidents, including reports of a Peeping Tom that have the neighborhood watch group on alert.

“There’s been a lot of sightings of a gentleman looking in peoples windows, coming up to their back doors," said neighborhood watch Co-Head Annmarie Rodriguez.

Police are actively investigating all reports.

“We take all these concerns seriously," said Lt. James Bee. "We have not been able to substantiate anything at this time. But they should call us. It's our obligation to help them."

Alicea Coopwood, co-head of the neighborhood watch group said they have contacted Balfour Beatty Management, the Philadelphia-based company that manages the housing, to address some safety measures.

“We want some kind of security," Coopwood said. "People want the lighting to be a little better."

Balfour Beatty Management released a statement on Tuesday.

"Balfour Beatty Communities' first priority is the safety and well-being of our residents. We take reported issues in our New London community very seriously and have been working closely with Groton Police to ensure thorough investigations are taking place. In addition, our maintenance teams are conducting a comprehensive inspection of all community lighting to make sure it is all working properly," the statement read.

"We are also working on scheduling a town hall meeting with Groton Police representation where all residents can join us to further discuss their concerns and share ideas on improving community security, including the potential for revitalizing the neighborhood watch program."


Police are urging residents to report all incidents. Some of the incidents listed on the Facebook page have not been reported to police, officials said.

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