Interrupted Burglar Causes Lockdown at Trombly

detectives are investigating what would have been a burglary of a home on Beaconsfield Tuesday that led to being placed on lockdown for a short time. 

Director of Public Safety David Hiller said Thursday the homeowner returned to his residence, heard a noise and saw a man running from his home. There was not a confrontation between the burglar and the homeowner, he said. 

The man ran through the Beasconsfield/Nottingham alley, which lets out at the entrance of Trombly's parking lot, Hiller said. As a precaution to the students and staff, responding officers requested the lockdown to ensure their safety. 

Trombly Elementary School Principal Walter Fitzpatrick said the lockdown went smoothly and school officials did not encounter anyone attempting to get inside. Most of the students were at a nearby park for their annual picnic, so the remaining students simply set up their picnic in the gymnasium, Fitzpatrick said. 

It was the first official police requested lockdown, Fitzpatrick said, noting school officials run practice drills every so often. 

Both Fitzpatrick and Hiller said the lockdown down was performed in a manner that was less restrictive to those inside the building, meaning school officials had to lock the exterior doors but were allowed to move throughout the building.

Lockdowns may require much more extensive restrictions in more serious situtions, both told Patch independently, explaining the exterior doors are locked and each classroom is locked with students inside. Such a procedure would be used in the event officials believed someone was already in the building with the intent to harm students or staff. In that type of situation, the students are not allowed to move about the building, they said. 

It lasted less than an hour and did not disrupt the students' activities, Fitzpatrick said.

The burglar was not found despite officers searching the area, Hiller said. Detectives are investigating some leads in the case, he said. The case does not appear to be related to , but detectives are not ruling that out yet, Hiller said.