Vehicle Burglaries On The Rise
FROM: Detective Mark Burgess
Ojai Police detectives are warning Ojai Valley residents of an increase in reported vehicle burglaries and thefts from vehicles. Most of the crimes are occurring during nighttime hours. The suspects are targeting unlocked vehicles and locked vehicles in which property is in plain view. Access to locked vehicles is typically gained by breaking a window. The types of property stolen recently have included laptop computers, purses, and jewelry. The vehicles targeted have been parked in various locations such as driveways, streets, and parking lots. They have been unattended for as little as 30 minutes.
Please be aware thefts and vehicle burglaries will increase as the holiday season approaches.
Here are some recommendations to protect yourself from being a victim:
Always make sure your vehicle is locked. Double-check it before leaving.
If you are shopping, place all of your purchases in the trunk. Do not leave items in an area where they can be seen from outside the car.
3. Do not hide personal property underneath the seat. Lock your personal property in the trunk.
Even for short periods of time, do not leave your purse, laptop computer, cellular phone, wallet, backpack or anything else in plain view inside your vehicle.
Avoid parking in isolated, poorly lit areas.
Be aware of your surroundings. Report suspicious activity to the police.
Apparently, individuals with ties to gangs are posing gardeners and day laborers and driving around in pick ups scoping Ojai residences for potential break ins. It’s time for the Sheriff’s Department to bring out patrol cars full force and set up road blocks. Let’s send the local criminal element a message that decent folks won’t stand for this crap.
Concerned citizen
25 Nov 09 at 1:45 pm
Or better yet, people should stop leaving their valuables in their cars and start locking them. There is only so much LE can do. Especially if people aren’t being responsible by not locking their car and leaving items of value inside.
Anonymous
25 Nov 09 at 2:23 pm
I had my car broke into nearly ten years ago parking to go on a hike. This is not new people. No items were in plain site. These thugs use spark plugs on a string to quietly bust your window and will go through your glove box, under your seats etc… After paying 300 dollars back then to replace my window I obviously was not happy and filed a police report. The local police department had been aware at that time that these thefts were taking place. What puzzled me the most is that a simple sign at hiking trial heads would have helped at least warn others of the break in’s taking place. The problem has only snowballed over the years. I am not a cop… but it seem like a no brainer guys. Setting up cars with item to lure these folks doesnt take a rocket scientist to catch them. Back when my car was broken into, these guys would go to places where no one was around. They have been taught by there predecessors and have become brasen enough to target cars in town. It is admirable that law enforcement has just now decided to notify the public and especially around the holidays. But maybe if you would take a few of these thugs and make an example out of them they would think twice after seeing what happens to their buddy.
Annoyed
25 Nov 09 at 5:20 pm
The Sheriff’s Department should SIMPLY set up cars with valuables in plain sight throughout Ojai and catch these pig criminals.
DUH
25 Nov 09 at 8:26 pm
Wait, if you hit a window with a spark plug, it breaks quietly?
Anonymous
25 Nov 09 at 9:26 pm
Arrest the illegals in Ojai. Get it over with.
river resident
27 Nov 09 at 2:22 pm
Why should law abiding, taxpaying, long time residents have to deal with illegal immigrant gangs and their drug dealing criminal associates? The Police should start DOING THEIR JOBS!!!
Where are the cops???
27 Nov 09 at 7:29 pm
HOW ABOUT SOME BACKGROUND CHECKS WITH THE FOLKS WHO
CLUSTER ON THE CORNERS IN TOWN. FEMALES CAN NOT FEEL
COMFORTABLE WALKING DOWNTOWN WITH ALL THESE GUYS
HANGING AROUND THE CORNERS. (THEY SAY, ” DAY LABORERS”)
I SAY, NO GOODERS. THIS COULD BE A START. WHERE DO ALL
THESE GUYS COME FROM, AND WHERE DO THEY GO, WE MIGHT
WONDER WHAT GOOD ARE THEY UP TO? WHAT HAS HAPPENED
TO THIS TOWN? I SAW MORE OF A POLICE SHOW OF FORCE
WHEN ONE BEAR CAME TO TOWN….WHAT’S UP OJAI?
bill downtown ojai
30 Nov 09 at 4:14 pm
I do agree with Bill. Day Labor or not These guys do need to be here legally. I was walking down Main the other day and thought it would be fun to yell out IMIGRATION in spanish just to see what happens. Sure enough half the group of ” Day laborers got up and left that second. Also I see that you are stating to Avoid parking in isolated, poorly lit areas….so I can’t park in over half of Ojai? I also abree with setting up a Bait car… If the cops can’t do it then I will probly set up my own bait car and do the job for em.
JustanotherOjaikid
30 Nov 09 at 5:16 pm
you know, the reason they left when you screamed at them was likely not out of fear of being deported, it was out of fear of being the victim of a hate crime at the hand of JustanotherOjaikid.
let the racist comments begin
1 Dec 09 at 10:48 am
everyone knows that illegal immigrants are behind it!
new yorker
1 Dec 09 at 3:45 pm
JustanotherOjaikid, You probably think yelling immigration is cool huh? Were you getting out of Matilija Jr. High with your friends and thought that would make you even more cool? Yeah, probably! I dont like these “Day Labor” guys either but yelling at them isnt going to make them go away. Grow Up!
Anonymous
1 Dec 09 at 5:10 pm
When times get tough, crime goes up !
nana
1 Dec 09 at 5:50 pm
Anonymous 5:10,
Picking on junior high kids is not very cool you stupid liberal.
Local Joe
1 Dec 09 at 10:42 pm
WHERE ARE THE POLICE????? LAW ABIDING CITIZENS OF OJAI DEMAND A GREATER POLICE PRESENCE.
Crack down on crime
2 Dec 09 at 1:10 pm
Wow, let the racist comments begin 1 Dec 09 at 10:48 am,
Hate crime, yelling La Migra??
IMHO Hate crime laws further isolate and do not help in any way to assimilate non-Americans legal or illegal.
Show me one “love crime” not counting “crimes of passion”.
What difference does the emotion you have while committing the crime make???
Wouldn’t taggers, bad drivers, anyone who uses foul language fall into that category??
Bye bye free speech!
Thought crime is what the hate crime law should be called, that is what it is!!
More laws = less freedom = more crime = more laws = less freedom and on and on.
Problem –> reaction –> solution.
The problem is not our southern brothers and sisters, its the anti-loitering ordinance that we don’t enforce, the driving w/o a licence laws, the no drinking in public, no urinating in public etc.
The bottom line is no one single or group of people is to blame for lowering our standard of living, our own gov. and other invested parties are.
If you believe we as humans are running out of resources you are a fool.
Global warming is a fraud.
Climate change is also a fraud.
(climate gate)
We can ALL live well and in good health around the world, but we choose to be greedy instead, on top of that you want “your space” free of “lesser class” people.
We are all equal and deserve the right to work for the chance to provide a good life for our families large or small.
We are having more and more in common with Mexico our economies, crime, health care.
The Copenhagen treaty will end our constitution, so the north American union will be the provided solution, complete with an S.D.R. to replace the paper dollar.
Just keep on yelling “they took our jobs”, it makes the jobs of America’s owners easier.
Tom Anderson
7 Dec 09 at 12:35 am