Shortage of officers, neighborhood watch groups leave residents
on their own
She can hardly sleep at night.
It started the afternoon of Jan. 30, when Jennifer Guerra came home with her oldest of two daughters. She walked into her Morning Glory Drive home and something didn’t feel right.
“I noticed my house felt a lot colder,” Guerra said.
Guerra has lived in Hollister all her life.
When she found someone had smashed a window and entered her home with the heavy rock her family uses to prop open a side gate, she felt sick. Someone entered her home, taking electronics and a camera full of Christmas photographs.
She’s thankful whoever it was didn’t ransack the place.
But being burglarized and seeing her two daughters scared has Guerra looking at fellow Hollister residents with apprehension.
It has her wondering what it will take to stop the disturbing trend.
Like a year ago, when the City of Hollister experienced months of increased burglaries, break-ins are on the rise in the area.
The Hollister Police Department has taken notice. “We have a surge going on right now,” Chief Jeff Miller said.
From Jan. 1 through Thursday, there have been 46 burglaries and seven attempted burglaries reported in Hollister, according to police records.
During the same time in 2007, there were 42 burglaries and one attempted burglary reported. And in 2006, there were 30 burglaries and two attempted burglaries reported.
That’s a 50 percent increase from 2006 and a 9 percent increase from 2007.
Miller said it is hard to pinpoint who or what is responsible for such a hike.
The department is just as frustrated with the increase as the community has been, Miller said.
Budget cuts since 2003 have forced the Hollister Police Department to eliminate its crime prevention program.
No more neighborhood watch program means citizens are mostly on their own. Miller said if neighbors wish to form such a group, the department will help get meetings started.
“If a neighborhood group wants to form, I, or someone, will go out there for at least one meeting,” Miller said.
With limited patrol officers, the passage of the Measure T sales tax increase should help. Miller expects the city council will approve more officer positions.
It would equate to more cops patrolling the streets and restarting crime prevention efforts.
In the meantime, residents can help fight burglaries. Miller said neighbors know who should be on their street.
“The no. 1 thing is watching out for each other’s home,” Miller said.*
