Following leads from University Public Safety and other law enforcement agencies, Princeton Borough Police arrested a 32-year-old Lawrenceville resident Monday on charges of burglary, theft and possession of burglary tools, according to Capt. Charles Davall.
The accused, Paul Sootkoos, allegedly burglarized several houses in Princeton Borough and stole more than 12 wallets on the University campus. Sootkoos was interviewed by police on Monday at which time he made admissions of guilt in the case, according to Davall.
"We have different ways to pursue cases," Davall said. "Basically, we ended up meeting with [Sootkoos] and asked him what he knew about the thefts. He then made some admissions of guilt and was very cooperative."
Sootkoos was held on $5000 bail Monday, pending a scheduled Borough Court appearance on May 21.
The identity of the alleged burglar was largely determined by the efforts of Public Safety Officer Martin Krzywicki. Reading his hometown paper, he found a crime story describing similar thefts to those in Princeton and a description of a suspect who was seen wearing a Princeton University sweatshirt, said Public Safety Investigator Duncan Harrison.
Collaborating with several other Public Safety officials, Krzywicki conducted an investigation into a connection between the events. After contacting his hometown police, he was able to determine the identity of the alleged criminal, according to Harrison.
Krzywicki forwarded his findings to Borough Police — which largely corroborated an independent police investigation and provided new leads.
"This is a good opportunity for us to help out the Borough," said Public Safety Crime Prevention Specialist Barry Weiser. "Ultimately, we need them more than they need us. They have the infrastructure [for holding and processing alleged] criminals that we don't."
Communication between the Borough Police department and University Public Safety is not perfect and has been strained in recent years by alcohol use on campus, but both sides agree they can and will try to work better together. Weiser explained that the evolving relationship of two law enforcement groups is grounded in their goals of preventing and solving crimes.
Harrison — who was involved in Public Safety's investigation — said he was glad he and others could help Borough Police and enjoy the opportunity for cooperation.
"We have a lot of interaction with them because more of the University is in the Borough. We help whenever we can," Harrison said, adding that with this cooperative investigation, "sometimes it's better to be lucky than be good."
Yet according to Borough Police and others at Public Safety, luck may not have played a significant role in this investigation.
"[Public Safety] did some really good looking out here," Davall said. "The bottom line is they did great investigating and helped us out."
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