NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - When a few career criminals were deported to Albania a few years ago, residents of the Todt Hill section of Staten Island thought the days of the “Ninja Burglar” were over.

However, fear remains for residents in the area thanks to a new rash of burglaries.  Police are reportedly tracking two burglary patterns in Todt Hill, Emerson Hills, and Grymes Hill.

WCBS 880′s Sean Adams On The Story

“These people are very professional burglars,” said Dr. Mohammed Khalid, president of the Iron Hills Civic Association. “They do their homework and they just come in and they are not hurting people, but they are really taking the gold and jewelry.”

He says the police recently met with residents for a briefing on the crime spree.

“We were very pleased that the police department is putting a lot of resources into this,” Khalid told WCBS 880 reporter Sean Adams.

There have been eight break-ins over the past two months.  In some of them, even though motion detectors were set off, thieves still got away with valuables.

What seems to be the best security system is nothing more than a dog. Interestingly, the homes that have been hit are houses that do not have dogs, CBS 2′s John Slattery reported.

Do you feel safe living on Staten Island? Sound off in the comments section below!