The Nutley Police Department is trying to put the public’s mind at ease amid a rise in burglaries around Essex County.

In one instance in Nutley, a thief broke into a woman’s home while she was in the shower.

Police are now reminding residents to stay vigilant and to keep their cars and homes locked and secured while law enforcement increases patrols.

Nutley Public Safety Director Alphonse Petracco blames some of the increase in crime on bail reform.

"So what's happening in Nutley here and all our surrounding towns as well -- is that the cops are working very diligently, very hard. They're locking these people up -- a lot of times they're juveniles -- and within hours, they're out of jail. Then, the next night they're doing the same thing because there's no punishment for the crime,” he says.

The township is considering bringing back a neighborhood watch program.