(Editor’s note: While Nilima and Samir Desai of Lincoln, MA were recently on vacation, their house was robbed. To raise an awareness about this growing threat and robberies by some groups targeting Indian-American households, the Desai family wrote an open letter to the community, which is published below with their permission.)
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Thank you for all your calls, texts, notes of concern. We are sorry we can’t respond to every one. Thank you all immensely.
This highly organized crime ring is not going to be taken down by one person or town. So we must all rise to the occasion to help eradicate this problem for the South Asian community. If all of us, those whose homes have been violated and all others united to act, it is possible.
Related article:
As South Asian Homeowners Face Unsettling Surge in Targeted Robberies in Greater Boston, Some Indian Americans Speak Out
We recommend the following if you truly wish to help:
DECIPHERING INFORMATION FROM HUNDREDS OF RESPONSES, WE CAN CLEARLY DEDUCT THAT:
- There is a highly organized crime ring targeting Indian homes
- This is a state (and nation) wide problem, which can’t be attached to individual nor individual town or location
- Thieves are primarily after Indian jewelry, expensive jewelry, watches, handbags, and a few random items
- In most of the cases they have gone into homes when owners are traveling or not at home
- Most of the homes have been owned by business owners, professionals, etc.
- They seem to move into a few houses near each other or region and then disappear for awhile and then go into different homes in different geography
- All these cases point to information which is collected by ring leaders in various ways including through social media, caterers, helpers or folks working on the property or servicing the property
PROTECT YOUR HOME:
- Install or update your home security system to add motion sensors and cameras, not only first floor but ALL floors. Use them regularly when you are in OR out.
- Inform neighbors, friends and local police when you will be travelling and ask them to be vigilant.
- Do not use social media to inform the world that you are traveling. If you must post, do so after you have arrived safely home.
- List all cleaners, caterers, at-home-helpers, repair and service folks, and other home staff who work in and around your home for parties and/or on a regular basis
- Photograph and list all expensive jewelry, handbags, watches, etc., and specially insure those jewelry line items of significant value (very important to insure them separately.)
INFORM, USE, AND ALERT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT:
- If your home, your friend or neighbor or family members’ home has been robbed, inform local police department and give them permission to use your name
- Don’t let them become complacent, but continuously follow up and demand actions. The local police are amazingly helpful and we personally have been grateful to them.
- Inform your local District Attorney (DA or ADA) (e.g. ADA nagavelli@state.ma.usfor Middlesex County in MA or Thomas M. Quinn info@bristolda.com Tel. 508.997.0711 for Bristol County in MA.) This is easily available public information to be found with quick internet search.
- Let all Indians in your town know and ask them to call the police department. This will have impact
- If you are not robbed, STILL let local police and district attorney offices know about this organized ring targeting Indian homes and ask them to be vigilant
STATE AND FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND POLITICAL ACTION:
- Inform your state Attorney General’s Office
- Use your contacts and relationships to urge them into action, even if you are personally not affected
- As a community, we want to overwhelm them with demand for action
- Let’s also contact all congressmen, politicians who we have generously supported, to get involved
INFORM PUBLIC MEDIA:
- Let’s use social media to alert our own community and keep it in public eye
- Use your connections in public realm, including urging your media contacts to have them write MORE articles about this very personal issue for the community, so that we can inform more individuals to take preventative actions as well as supportive actions for our community as described above.
–Samir Desai
