Spike in property crime attributed to various reasons
There are a lot of possible reasons for why residential
burglaries were up 73 percent in 2006, according to statistics
released by the Hollister Police Department.
Spike in property crime attributed to various reasons
There are a lot of possible reasons for why residential burglaries were up 73 percent in 2006, according to statistics released by the Hollister Police Department.
Many of the crimes were crimes of opportunity, where a person left a garage door open or a window unlocked. Another possibility for the increase could have to do with more people reporting burglaries, according to Capt. Rich Vasquez of the Hollister Police Department.
In 2006, there were 199 residential burglaries reported in the city of Hollister compared to 115 in 2005. Breaking down those numbers residential burglaries amounted to $561,246 in lost property last year.
Recent cuts within the city’s budget have left the Hollister Police Department limited in its capacity to respond to some residential burglaries, but according to Vasquez the police department will still respond to burglaries in progress, it’s just the ones that have already happened where people may have to come to the department rather than the other way around.
“With budget cuts and a lack of officers it could reflect how we take reports,” Vasquez said. “So victims may have to come to the station instead of officers going out to their locations. Burglaries with a low potential of solvability we’ll probably have to have people come to us, but we’ll certainly still respond to burglaries in progress. We want to make sure that people still call the police if there is a burglary.”
Sharron Ruiz, who was shopping at Safeway on Tuesday, lives in the Sunnyslope area. She said she feels safe, but is certainly more careful with her belongings since she learned of the increase in burglaries.
“I didn’t realize burglaries had increased until I saw the item on the news,” Ruiz said. “I take some precautions, I have those automatic motion lights and I never leave my doors or windows unlocked.”
Hector Garcia, who lives on Central Avenue, said he sees his neighbors get burglarized all the time, so he wasn’t surprised to find out that the residential burglary rate had increased. And while he feels bad for his neighbors, it has never happened to him.
“I think people know I got two big dogs, a pit-bull and a rottweiler. They protect my stuff good,” Garcia said. “I’m not stupid either, I lock my doors and I pay attention to what goes on in the neighborhood.”
Having a watchful eye is one of the things Vasquez said can make all the difference.
“Neighborhood watch programs can be highly effective because they get people to think about neighborhoods, not just their own houses,” Vasquez said. “So the focus is not just on your home, but your neighbors too. Often burglaries are crimes of opportunity. Someone is breaking-in in a hurry.”
Vasquez had some tips for how people can protect themselves from residential burglaries. If you have a broken door or window, fix it. Trust your neighbors. Vasquez said that he’s always surprised how many residents don’t know the people living around them. If you have valuable property make sure you engrave it with distinguishing marks, a social security number for example, or a name, so that if the property is recovered it can be identified.
“People need to be smart and be aware,” Vasquez said. “That lessens the likelihood of being a victim.”
Patrick O’Donnell can be reached at
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Tips for avoiding burglaries
If you have broken doors or windows, replace them as soon as possible.
Always mark valuable property such as bicycles or TVs with an etching device so that if the item is recovered it can be returned to you.
Always bring in newspaper and mail daily, if you are going to be gone for a longer period consider having papers and mail stopped until you return.
Installing motion sensitive lights can help alert residents to prowlers.
Know your neighbors. The people that live around you can watch your home when you are away.
Start a neighborhood watch. If your neighborhood does not currently have a neighborhood watch program, contact the police department for information on starting one.
