CRIME: THE CAPTAIN'S VIEW
Through the lens

Hello, fellow crime fighters of the Marina! This month I am writing about two things: burglaries and crime cameras. First, let me say that you live in a nice neighborhood that is relatively low in crime.

Burglaries
What you do have is opportunists walking your neighborhood looking for an easy mark. They walk around checking doors and windows to see what is unlocked or open. Common (large apartment-type) garage burglary is very easy. Someone in the apartment pulls their car into the garage and forgets to close it, or the opportunist sneaks in behind the car before the door is closed. He waits until nobody is around and is free to “shop.” Burglars steal many bikes this way, get into unlocked cars and steal whatever they can, or get into the storage lockers located in the garage. How do you combat this? Be sure to close the garage door, and wait until the garage door is down before pulling forward to your designated spot. If you see anyone in your garage that doesn’t belong, call us to investigate.

Many residential burglaries happen during the day when people are at work. Criminals working your neighborhood tend to fit in, so if you see a stranger wandering the common hallway of your apartment building, either ask whether they need help (usually enough to scare them off) or call us. Don’t assume that a neighbor called about that suspicious person – you need to call. Our plainclothes officers are out in your neighborhood looking for suspicious people, and we have made some great burglary arrests, yet they continue. So lock your windows and doors, close your garage, get to know your neighbors, and be each other’s eyes when you or they are not home.

Cameras and Videos
I just read a burglary report from your neighborhood where the suspect stole a $3,000 bike. A neighbor was home and called police, then got out her camera and took some great pictures of the suspect. As a result, he will be in custody soon. Photo evidence, especially video, is pretty irrefutable in court. Judges and juries don’t always believe eyewitness testimony, but it is hard to argue with a picture or video of the suspect caught red-handed.

I was in the Radio Shack on Polk Street the other day (they were burglarized) and asked, “What’s the cheapest way to capture video evidence for my home or business?” I was shown a variety of outfits, the cheapest being around $200. Many stores sell this type of equipment and costs vary. Another big plus is that cameras have a deterrent factor as well.

Until next month, be safe out there! If you want to receive my weekly newsletter, e-mail me at [email protected]. You can also follow us on Twitter at northernstation.