Hollister
– An alarming increase in home burglaries has the Hollister
Police Department urging residents to secure their own homes and
keep an eye on neighbors’ properties.
Hollister – An alarming increase in home burglaries has the Hollister Police Department urging residents to secure their own homes and keep an eye on neighbors’ properties.
Twenty-nine residential burglaries have been reported so far this month, compared to 10 in the entire month of December 2005, according to police. In October, 31 residential burglaries were reported, and in November, 38 residential burglaries were reported, according to police records.
The rise in residential burglaries is not unique to Hollister, Police Chief Jeff Miller said. San Jose and other nearby cities have also seen recent spikes, he said.
“It’s not just us,” Miller said. “They’re up all over.”
Police are investigating the burglaries, said Officer Rosie Betanio, a spokeswoman for the Hollister Police Department.
“The majority of the burglaries we’ve been getting recently are daytime burglaries,” Betanio said.
Betanio added that homes have been burglarized while the residents were at work or shopping.
Of the 29 burglaries reported, 22 were reported between 10am and 8pm, according to police records.
Four burglaries have been reported on Rancho Drive and five burglaries have been reported on Monica Court and Del Rio Court at the south end of Westside Boulevard, according to police records.
Miller said burglars often check homes during the day to see if residents are gone. Burglars may even use utility worker uniforms so as to not look suspicious when casing a house, Miller said.
Burglars are not always adults either.
“Burglars have a wide range of characteristics,” Miller said. “From kids to adults.”
Juveniles looking for electronics, professionals looking to fence stolen items and drug addicts looking to supplement a drug habit are often responsible for home burglaries, Miller said.
Hollister police Capt. Richard Vasquez said items frequently stolen include stereo equipment, televisions and jewelry. He urged residents to close windows and lock doors as burglars often use both to enter homes.
Miller recalled a personal experience from several years back. He said he was at home, waiting for a friend to come over one day when he heard the front gate open. Thinking it was his friend, he opened the door but was met by a stranger. The man gave him a quick excuse, but aroused the young police officer’s suspicion. Miller jotted down the man’s license plate and reported the incident. Officers were unable to find the man, but a later check of his record revealed he was on parole, Miller said.
“The reality is you need to lock your doors,” Miller said. “We have crime here too.”
And keep an eye out. Just because solicitors are young or look respectable doesn’t mean they aren’t suspect, Miller said.
Knowing and talking with neighbors is key, Miller said. Neighbors are the best way to spot suspicious activity, he said.
“I think it’s really important,” Miller said. “People know in their neighborhood who belongs there and who doesn’t.”
Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or [email protected].
