Hollister
– Police officials are urging locals to lock their doors this
week after a rash of burglaries throughout the city.
Hollister – Police officials are urging locals to lock their doors this week after a rash of burglaries throughout the city.
Since June 1, 34 Hollister homes have been burglarized, said Hollister Police Department Spokeswoman Rosie Betanio. Last year there were 10 burglaries during the same period of time.
Local youth may be partly to blame for the increased numbers, Betanio said.
“We believe some of these burglaries may be the work of juveniles,” she said. “But that’s still under investigation.”
Some of the common items being stolen across the city include video games, video game consoles and other toys. Cash and jewelry are also common items burglars frequently abscond with, Betanio said.
The burglaries are not isolated to one part of the city and have occurred in wealthy and poor neighborhoods alike, Betanio said.
“They have been spread out, but generally most of the break-ins have occurred in the southeast portion of Hollister,” she said. “It doesn’t matter where you live; you could still be a target, so it’s important to take the proper security measures.”
Betanio said that while police do not know what is behind the increase, they are hoping local residents will help stymie the rising number of break-ins by being alert and locking up.
One of the best deterrents is locking doors, securing windows and being alert, Betanio said. She also warned residents to keep valuable jewelry in a safe or safe deposit box. Large sums of cash are hard to recover and should be kept in a bank.
“And dogs are always a good idea,” Betanio said.
Police are also encouraging locals to immediately report suspicious persons and suspicious vehicles to law enforcement.
Officials at the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office said Monday they haven’t seen any increase in the number of county burglaries, but urge residents to stay alert, said Lt. Roy Iler. Summer is a popular time for family vacations and Iler encouraged county home owners to check in at the Sheriff’s Office before leaving town. Residents can call or stop by the office to fill out a vacation form so deputies can keep tabs on their home will they are away as part of the sheriff’s “Vacation Watch” program.
Iler said setting up timers for home lights and having a neighbor collect mail and newspapers is another good idea for those leaving on vacation.
Brett Rowland covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
