Over the last few weeks we have seen an uptick in thefts from vehicles and one of the common themes has been that items of potential value have been left in vehicles. When items are left in view, it can serve as an opportunity for a thief to break into your car. Taking a few simple steps can prevent having to deal with damage to your vehicle and the loss of your property.
Steps include:
• Putting items of value in the trunk or glovebox out of view
• Making sure you lock your car – we investigate numerous theft reports in which the vehicle has been left unlocked
• Call in any suspicious behavior in your neighborhood, so we can investigate
Let me expound on the last point as it is important. There are times when you may see something out of the norm or someone in your neighborhood looking into parked cars. If you get an inkling that someone is casing cars or houses, call our Dispatch Center at 925-372-3440, so we can respond to investigate.
While the officers may find that all is well, it is better to be safe and have us respond to follow up. We rely on the community to be our eyes and ears as we cannot be everywhere at once, so please help us by reporting any suspicious behavior.
On a positive note, it was great to see such a spectacular turnout at the 4th of July parade this year! It was good to see so many families and community members on Main Street enjoying the celebration. The 4th of July is a mandatory work day for all officers at the MPD. Given the logistics, planning, and security for the parade; the regulated fireworks at the Marina event; and, the increase in calls for illegal fireworks, we have all of our sworn staff on duty. We had the assistance of CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) for traffic control and worked with Public Works throughout the day to ensure the activities were organized and safe. Here are a few photographs of the offices on duty – one of them, Officer Ryan Ballie, even commandeered a guitar to play in a band!
