Crime & Safety
Residential Burglaries Surge in Palo Alto
The burglary of the late Steve Jobs' home received worldwide media coverage. But the Jobs family is hardly alone. Residential burglaries have spiked in Palo Alto this year.
From January 1 to September 10, 2012, there have been 151 residential burglaries reported, according to the Palo Alto Police Department. That’s higher than any of the previous four years, according to statistics released by PAPD.
The burglaries typically occur between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., when families are away at work or at school. The police department has deployed detectives into neighborhoods, doubling the number of police personnel typically patrolling streets during the day.
The stepped-up patrols began in August. “The Palo Alto Police Department is continuing to make burglary prevention and burglar apprehension among its top priorities,” said Sgt. Kara Apple, PAPD, in a prepared statement. “Once we detected the upswing in August, we began redeploying and refocusing our personnel.”
Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
This is the second time in 2012 that the department has put extra personnel on the streets. Early in the year, a spike in reported burglaries prompted similar action. The department launched its “Lock It or Lose It!” public campaign in March, while adding extra patrols. The effort worked, with seven residential burglaries reported in April. Cases leveled off through July, followed by a surge in August and early September.
The police department knows that residents are on edge and want action. Sgt. Apple emphasized the efforts of the police department, “We have increased staffing on day shift teams, adjusted the schedules of officers from other shifts and assignments to get additional personnel into the neighborhoods, and have shifted officers in administrative assignments back out to the street as time allows.”
Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The campaign emphasizes burglary prevention. Unlocked doors and windows make the job of criminals easier. A specific tip from Sgt. Apple: lock side yard gates. “In many cases, burglars gain access to the rear yard after finding an unlocked gate. Once in the privacy of a back yard, they are free to break into the home unnoticed by passersby.”
For a complete list of crime prevention tips, visit the Palo Alto Police Department’s website.
Call police to report suspicious activity. The 24-hour dispatch center phone number is
650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984.
Don't miss important news Subscribe to our daily newsletter.
Get our daily newsletter | Like us on Facebook |Blog for us | Follow us on Twitter|
