Open Garage

Police Blotter is a sampling of crimes in Howard County.Ellicott City: 9400 block of Dunloggin Road: Someone stole a bicycle from an open garage Saturday afternoon.Ellicott City: 4500 block of Speedwell Court: Someone took a bicycle from an open garage Saturday afternoon.Hickory Ridge: 6000 block of Shepherd Square: A resident heard footsteps in her kitchen and then discovered that her keys had been taken about 1 a.m. Monday.Hickory Ridge: 10300 block of Bugle Note Way: A burglar threw a rock through a window of a house and stole a purse containing $700 in cash about 4: 30 a.m. yesterday.

Police logLong Reach: 5300 block of Five Fingers Way: A bicycle and bicycle lock were stolen between 6 p.m. and 7: 30 p.m. Monday from an open garage.Long Reach: 8800 block of Flowerstock Row: Someone pried a door lock and tried to enter a house between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Police logNorth Laurel: 9500 block of Park Ave.: Someone entered a home Tuesday by removing a screen from an unlocked bathroom window and took cash and a man's gold and diamond ring.Scaggsville: 10300 Champion Way: Someone entered a home through an open garage Tuesday. Nothing was taken.Pub Date: 8/29/96

Police logHarper's Choice: 11200 Red Stream Way: Two bikes were stolen from an open garage Thursday.Pub Date: 7/22/96

Police logEllicott City: 8600 block of Wheatfield Road: A bicycle was stolen from an open garage Monday.Ellicott City: 4500 block of Haywagon Way: Someone stole a bicycle from an open garage Monday.Ellicott City: 5300 block of Sunny-field Court: Two men stole material from a house under construction between Saturday and Monday. When confronted by a neighbor, the men said they were working for a construction company.Elkridge: 5900 block of Rising Star: An oven and a refrigerator were stolen from a house under construction between Friday and Monday.

POLICE LOG* Ellicott City: 4500 block of Hemlock Cone Way: A naked man was seen on a deck shortly before 2 a.m. Friday.9200 block of U.S. 40: A lock was pried off a trailer between Tuesday and Thursday. It was not clear what property was taken.2900 block of Hearthstone Road: A bicycle was stolen from an open garage between Monday and Thursday.

POLICE LOG* North Laurel: 9200 block of Redbridge Court: A rear door was pried open between 7:45 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. Tuesday and a bedroom was ransacked. A videocassette recorder, compact discs and rings were stolen.9900 block of U.S. 1: An intruder entered Austin's Collision Repair between 7 p.m. Monday and 6:30 a.m. Tuesday and stole tools.* Scaggsville: 8400 block of Early Bud Way: An intruder entered an open garage at 2:10 a.m. yesterday and then entered the house. A wallet with undisclosed contents was taken, though an alarm was activated.

In the Crofton special tax district, a navy blue police car is a familiar fixture. It patrols the area nearly around the clock, and the officer behind the wheel is known to residents.This is community policing. And Crofton has practiced it for almost three decades, long before the term became popular with politicians and law enforcement authorities.As other jurisdictions adopt the grass-roots strategy, Crofton is showing how effective the approach can be. The community of 10,000 has had but one homicide in the district's 25-year history, and the crime rate remains low.Most of all, residents say they feel safer.