Police urge public to be cautious, protect belongings
Morgan Hill – With another spate of thefts from vehicles recently, Morgan Hill police are cautioning residents about leaving valuables visible while the vehicle is unattended.
“The best prevention advice that we can give as a police department is centered around making your vehicle an unattractive target,” said Morgan Hill police Cmdr. David Swing. “Residents can do that by taking valuables inside with them or placing them in trunk, out of view of the potential thief.”
Many times, people leave laptops, purses, briefcases, iPods, CD players and other items out in plain view of anyone looking in the window. Even if the doors are locked, many times the suspect will shatter a window to get inside.
Between Jan. 9 and Jan. 16, there were nine auto burglaries in an area south of downtown, with four of them reported to police on Jan. 12 as having occurred overnight.
On Jan. 4, three auto burglaries were reported in various locations around the city; five were reported to police on Jan. 5. They all occurred in motel parking lots on Condit Road.
Swing said property crimes such as auto burglaries tend to by cyclic – periods of relative inactivity followed by sudden spikes in crime – but added that police unfortunately have no way to predict when the spikes will occur.
“The best thing people can do whether it’s the holiday season or the middle of summer, if they leave their car in the parking lot or in front of the house, is to lock the doors and place any valuables out of sight,” he said.
One thing officers do know about these kinds of property crimes is that often they are tied to drug use.
Early Monday morning, officers arrested Craig Stephens, 30, who is listed as a transient, after a call came in about a man slumped over the steering wheel of a car in the Holiday Inn Express parking lot on Condit road.
Stephens was found to be medically fine, and agreed to a search of his vehicle, Swing said. Officers found a digital camera, credit cards and checks, as well as other items. Stephens was booked into Santa Clara County Jail for alleged possession of stolen property, forgery and on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance. He told officers, Swing added, that he is addicted to methamphetamine.
Detectives have identified property from victims in Hollister and Morgan Hill and have other items they are trying to match with victims.
One thing officers frequently hear when victims report an auto burglary is that the victim “always” leaves a purse, a computer, etc., in the vehicle.
“There can be a false sense of security,” Swing said. “It’s better to take precautions.”
The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and the Regional Auto Theft Task Force (RATTF) are also urging residents to take precautions. During the cold weather the area has been experience, many people leave their cars running outside their homes to warm up. It is not uncommon, according to RATTF, for two or more car thieves to drive around neighborhoods together looking for unoccupied vehicles left running. A thief can be out walking or jogging, pretending to be out for morning exercise, but actually looking for a vehicle being “warmed up.”
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or at
md****@*************es.com.
