NEW YORK—New York Police Department’s 13th Precinct spends a great deal of time chasing thieves.
The precinct, which covers the lower portion of Midtown Manhattan, caught a prolific burglar recently, according to Deputy Inspector Ted Berntsen, the commanding officer of the precinct.
The offender had just been released from 15 years in jail, only to allegedly commit more than 30 burglaries in a six-week period, Berntsen said.
“We had 30 police officers staked out on different fire escapes and rooftops,” Berntsen said.
“Here comes our burglar walking through the alley and he walked right up the fire escape next to him,” Berntsen said, signaling to an officer. “And after a chase on the rooftop we arrested him.”
“It was almost like one of those scenes from one of those TV shows, it worked out perfectly,” he said.
The precinct has also been plagued by a spate of grand larceny, with thieves particularly targeting iPhones.
