THEFT REPORTS ON UPSWING

Authorities Blame Drugs And Economy

Theft of everything from property to identities is on the rise in Del
Norte County, and county and city authorities believe drugs and the
economy are to blame.

"It seems to have a lot to do with the current state of the
community," said sheriff's Sgt. Steve Morris. "And I think it has a
lot to do with drugs."

Morris said the sour economy and the lack of jobs in Del Norte
County, where unemployment has pushed past 12 percent, play a strong
part in the rise in property crimes.

"Del Norte County has been economically depressed since the closure
of the mills," said the sergeant. "And I think we have a huge
substance abuse problem here."

Morris said the recent tanking of the economy just added another
hit.

Tough economic times and the efforts of narcotics officers to battle
the drug trade have caused steep price increases for methamphetamine,
Del Norte's most prevalent illegal substance after marijuana.

"An ounce of meth in 2006 was $600, a half-ounce of meth now is
$750," said Morris.

Thus, he said, some meth addicts are stealing more to support their
habits.

"They're not working and they're stealing your stuff to feed their
drug habit," said sheriff's Detective Bob Barber.

Crescent City Police Chief Doug Plack agrees.

"Drugs are the roots of every crime in communities across the nation,
but I think it's possible that the economic hardship could lead to
more theft," said Plack.

"If you have an individual willing to sling dope into the community,
it doesn't matter what the status is of the entire country, they're
still going to sell the dope," said the chief.

Plack said not all people arrested on suspicion of theft or burglary
are addicts - just most of them.

"I feel that there's a certain percentage that believe they don't
have any other alternative," he said.

Some people who do work but don't make enough money to survive may
also turn to theft instead of asking for help, he said.

Crime reports increasing

According to county sheriff's statistics, there were 368 reported
thefts involving burglary, ID theft, petty theft and general theft
(stealing an object greater than $400 value) last year, compared to
322 in 2007.

The biggest increase was in reported burglaries, with 31 more in 2008
than in 2007.

Crescent City Police Department statistics showed 17 more reported
thefts in 2008 than in 2007.

ID theft is also on the rise, according to Sheriff's Office
statistics. The office had four reported cases in 2006 10 in 2007 and
16 in 2008. Through February this year, five cases have been reported.

Barber blamed the increase in ID theft partly on the deluge of
information readily available on the Internet.

He said it's relatively simple to steal a people's bank statements by
just walking up to their mailboxes and grabbing it.

"We do get a lot of reports of mail being stolen," said
Barber.

The detective said "we've had 40 cases of people who in the last year
(said) that someone used their information to get online and start a
credit line."

Where the thefts are.

Plack, Morris and Barber also discussed where the majority of thefts
occur.

In the city, Plack said most thefts occur in stores and unlocked
cars.

"It's always easiest to hide in plain sight within the city with more
of a dense population than the county," he said.

Vehicle break-ins often occur in daylight, said Plack.

"It can be anywhere there's a lot of people or there are darkened
areas," he said.

Plack said thieves steal "things that are in plain view, a lot of
times it's in the beds of pickup trucks."

Victims of residential burglaries often leave their garage door open
- - which is a welcome mat for burglars, he said.

Thieves might steal from the vehicle in the garage, then make their
way into the residence, he said.

He said vehicle theft has also been a problem.

Nineteen vehicles were reported stolen within the city limits in
2008.

The chief said the majority of larceny reports came from shopping
centers, especially grocery stores on Highway 101.

"And that's why we've been concentrating so much down there - not
just on the homeless - but other individuals as well," said Plack.

Theft at the highway shopping centers is high "because there are a
lot of people down there and because it's a crime of opportunity," he
said.

Morris said the seclusion and darkness of rural residences and
businesses, such as stores and homes in Smith River, create their own
opportunities for thieves.

Morris said one of the main problems is people burglarizing homes to
steal drugs, including medical marijuana.

"We've had many burglaries where people have broken into a home and
stolen medical marijuana," he said.

Barber said drug burglaries and robberies create another problem as
well.

"Nobody wants to report they were attacked because they wouldn't give
up their drugs," he said.

Awareness is key

Morris, Barber and Plack each had similar suggestions on how
residents can protect themselves from burglary, theft and ID theft -
and all said their suggestions were common-sense things that people
just neglect or forget to do.

"I would say be observant of your surroundings - if you see something
suspicious, it probably is," said Plack. "You need to be the eyes and
ears of this community."

Morris reinforced Plack's comment by saying "be aware of your
surroundings, who's watching you when you leave your house, your
vehicle, your place of work."

Morris said criminals time their opportunities for when victims are
not around-and it may be in broad day light while they are at work.

The sergeant said vigilance involves watching your neighbors'
residences as well because, "today it's them, but tomorrow it's you."

Plack said anyone who sees anything that is out of place or people
they don't recognize loitering in an area they should just call
authorities.

"People need to report things immediately," he said.

"The criminal needs to know they shouldn't be afraid of law
enforcement, they should be afraid of the community," said Plack.

Locking doors best deterrent

Plack advises people to "park under a street light and lock the
car."

Detective Barber said, "don't leave anything in the car that you
don't want stolen."

Plack added, "it doesn't matter what's on the seat of your car, or if
you don't care if it's gone or not. An individual may find that item
attractive and you may be left with a broken window," he said.

Morris and Plack said the home least likely to be burglarized is the
one that has lights on at night.

Plack and Morris also suggested the use of motion-sensing lights and
a solid front door with a dead bolt-style lock.

Barber said the locks and bolts need to be properly installed, and
then used religiously.

Plack suggested installing locks on each window of the home as
well.

Morris and Plack also suggested an outside dog as a great burglary
deterrent.

They did say alarm systems work as well as dogs, but tend to be much
more expensive.

"We're not to the point like in L.A. where you need bars on the
windows," said Barber.

Safeguarding information

Barber said being observant is also important when using PINs or
credit cards.

"Using check cards, be aware of who is around you - are they watching
you type your PIN in?" said Barber.

He said "people can see that number, then follow you to your car -
now they know what you drive."

Barber said they than burglarize the car and steal the card,
ultimately using it with the PIN.

"Don't show anybody any personal information you don't want them to
have," he said.

Barber said checking your credit and banking accounts daily is also a
good idea so you'll know immediately if you are a victim of ID theft.

"Don't mail bills from the house, take them to the post office," said
Barber.

The detective said people should be wary of providing personal
information over the phone.

When doing business that requires divulging a social security number,
"don't give your social security number out verbally, write it down,
then ask for it back."

As for email scams, he advised against giving out any banking or
social security information to anyone claiming to be "updating their
records."

"Banks don't send emails to update account information," said
Barber.

And remember, he said, even if you take all the proper safeguards,
and even if the economy improves, "you're always going to have burglars."