CrimeWatch Meeting, Thursday, May 23.

This was one of a series of such meetings.  They probably happen two or three times a year.  The arrangement is that Chuck Ross, our CrimeWatch chairman, is the host, Ray Atesiano, our Police Chief, is the special guest presenter, and sometimes, there's a slide show.  Parts A and B happened on Thursday.  No slide show this time.

There was nothing new about the content.  Ray and his department are doing startlingly well, which means we are, too.  Crime, which does happen from time to time, is simply very low here.  This is thanks to two main things.  The first is the remarkable astuteness and diligence of our police.  Ray says he comes from investigation more than reactive enforcement.  He wants to know what crime is about, its dynamics, its predictors, and how to prevent it.  So his guys respond extremely alertly, they are intent on investigating and solving, and solve they do.  Our current "clearance rate" (rate of solved crimes) is 75%.  A good clearance rate anywhere else, in the country, is maybe up to half of that.  Typical rates are up into the 20s.

The result of sure and prompt clearing of crimes is long term prevention of them.  Ray says criminals who can expect to get caught, or have actually been caught somewhere, do not go back to where they've already had trouble.  So Ray catches them once, and they don't come back.  Presumably, their friends don't come here, either.  If we're catching way more criminals than anyone else, then we're also preventing way more future crime than anyone else, which is why our crime rate is as low as it is.

The other factor which contributes to our low crime rate, and which Ray always stresses, and so does Chuck, is resident involvement.  An alert resident, who calls the police for something that just doesn't look completely right, even though it is the resident's competing instinct not to make trouble or be a bother to the police, is worth his or her weight in gold.  The tips and the leads often come from residents.  So Ray said yet again, that he wants people to call him.  He's pleading with us to call.  If he could, he would insist we call.  Just because something is curious, or simply doesn't look right.  Or is faintly annoying, like a car cruising too slow, or making stops and starts, or a vehicle that is most likely a work van, but doesn't have a sign on it.  Little stuff.  The stuff that's easy to overlook, or excuse, or the bother you don't want to be to someone who may very well not be doing anything wrong.  Do it.  Call.  If there's no trouble, no one will be bothered.  If there is, pat yourself on the back, deputy.

Ray says it's the job of the police to respond and patrol.  It's what we pay them for.  It's what they do, what they want to do, what they like to do.  Are you aware that the biggest budget item we have is our police?  True.  So go get us our money's worth.  Ray thanks you.  So does Chuck.  So do your neighbors.


PS: The turnout was definitely admirable.  If you weren't there, though, we missed you. Come next time.