Sharp-Eyed Citizens, Responsive Officers

Our last Citywide Crime Profile showed Auto-Boostings (i.e. breaking your window and stealing your radio) down by 38% and Motor Vehicle Theft (i.e. stealing your actual car) down by 16%. The below case exemplifies the sharp-eyed residents and responsive officers driving these reductions.

As with most any crime, citizen-provided information is key to making arrests and increasing public safety. Residents observed suspicious behavior and notified the police, who investigated and arrested the alleged responsible parties. Simple as that.

Taraval Station Update - Captain Paul Chignell
3/5/2009, 5:30 AM - Residents informed the police that two suspects were peering into parked cars with flashlights on De Soto Street. Officers Labson and Kavanagh spotted a vehicle nearby, on Urbano Drive, containing two persons matching the suspects' descriptions. In the vehicle, the officers observed a flashlight, wedged between one supect and the passenger door, as well as various screwdrivers and shaved keys, tucked between the seats. There were car radios and media players in the seatwells. The officers observed another car close by, with the door unlocked, and the radio missing. They made contact with the owner of that vehicle, who stated that she parked and locked her car the night before. The woman, who lives on De Soto, identified one of the car radios as belonging to her. One of the suspects stated that he bought the radio at a flea market in San Jose. The suspects, who have been previously arrested for auto-related crimes, were arrested for conspiracy, auto burglary, receiving stolen property, possession of burglary tools and auto tampering.

KVR