• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Valley Citizen

Nature, Environment, History & Politics

The Valley Citizen

  • Arts
  • Education
  • Environment
  • History
  • Nature
  • Politics
  • Wit
  • About
  • RSS Icon

Bruce Frohman on Neighborhood Crime

April 8, 2012 By Eric Caine Leave a Comment

The City of Modesto has an informal goal of having 1.8 police officers for every thousand citizens. The goal is based on the national average in 2002. Modesto has not met the goal since it was established. Given the present staffing level, the police need the help and cooperation of citizens.

On April 3, 2012, the Woodland West Neighborhood Association held a neighborhood watch meeting to discuss problems and solutions for the area. About 70 citizens attended, voicing problems and listening to solutions provided by representatives of the Modesto Police Department and Stanislaus County Sheriff. The advice is useful for all neighborhoods.

The number of complaints from such a small area of the city was astounding. Citizens talked about car theft, petty theft, physical threats and extortion, and traffic problems including speeding, U-turns in front of schools, and excessive noise from car radios. Graffiti and vandalism continue to plague the area despite a concerted neighborhood effort to immediately paint over whatever is defaced.

The representatives from the Modesto Police Department and Stanislaus County Sheriff assured citizens that they are working constantly to catch evil doers. For maximum efficiency, the police need all citizens to report every illegal activity. They want license numbers of suspicious vehicles, police reports filed for all theft and vandalism, pictures of all graffiti before it is painted over, and any information that can be used to solve a crime. In other words, citizens have to work hard with the police to fight crime. Citizens don’t have to confront the criminals, but they need to be pro-active.

DETERENTS TO CRIME

Police presence is one deterrent to crime. However, police can’t be everywhere at once.  Citizens have a greater presence. For example, adults should stand out in front of school when children are arriving and leaving to watch traffic and protect children. They can note dangerous drivers. At the neighborhood meeting, someone suggested that retired adults do such duty if they have time.

An active neighborhood watch is another deterrent to crime. If the criminals know they’re being watched, they will go somewhere else.

A lot of theft and vandalism occur in the wee hours of the morning, when most citizens are asleep. Must we post 24 hour guards in our neighborhoods? Criminals often case homes during the day. By noting the license of a car with suspicious occupants, leads can be generated if a crime occurs later. If a dog barks late at night, it’s wise to see why he is barking.

POLICE RESPONSE TO COMPLAINTS

At the Woodland Neighborhood citizens meeting, several residents expressed frustration over the apparent lack of response to complaints filed with the police department. People living within county pockets surrounded by the city voiced similar feelings. Modesto Police Lieutenant Craig Gundlach said that all crime reports are reviewed and  the police try to respond as time permits. If a citizen does not receive a response, there may be nothing to report. Sometimes the police are so busy that there isn’t enough time to follow up.

Sometimes, citizens can’t tell that the police department has responded to complaints of suspicious persons or vehicles because the department often sends out unmarked vehicles to check the complaint and doesn’t normally contact the original caller to report findings. Lieutenant Gundlach also told the crowd at the neighborhood meeting that when someone calls 911, police respond in the same way that a hospital triages patients. The most urgent calls get attention first.  Officer Gundlach said that a response can be in as little as 30 seconds when conditions are optimal, but that does not happen too often. He also said that when in doubt, call 911. He would rather have a 911 call routed to dispatch for routine response than a report of an urgent problem delayed because a citizen was afraid to use 911.

FILE A COMPLAINT!

Crime Prevention Officers Carla Castro and Heather Graves said that best action citizens can take is to file WRITTEN complaints and make the calls to the police department when needed. “The squeaky wheel gets the grease,” said Sheriff’s Officer Rodney Goetano. When police receive multiple complaints, they divert additional resources to deal with the problem, increasing the chance that a criminal will be caught.

Listening to a description of police operations, one concludes that if citizens work in partnership with the police, the entire community will be better served. If citizens ignore problems, the problems will only get worse. Crime thrives in the absence of citizen involvement in the well-being of a community.

 

Filed Under: Environment Tagged With: Crime in Modesto, neighborhood crime, Neighborhood watch

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Note: Some comments may be held for moderation.

Primary Sidebar

Off The Wire

On Voting Rights, GOP Lawyers Say the Quiet Part Out Loud - The Bulwark
On Voting Rights, GOP Lawyers Say the Quiet Part Out Loud – The Bulwark
Arguing before the Supreme Court, they admit their case isn’t about principle or election integrity, it’s just about winning.
thebulwark.com
Could Biden Be the Most Transformative President in Living Memory? - LA Progressive
Could Biden Be the Most Transformative President in Living Memory? – LA Progressive
Most Transformative President – Biden has the chance to lead a green and digital recovery that would create millions of good jobs.
www.laprogressive.com
Louis DeJoy Is Killing It
Louis DeJoy Is Killing It
While Biden dithers, Trump’s minion wrecks the postal service.
nymag.com
So What if Romney Doesn?t Solve the ?Root Causes? of Poverty?
So What if Romney Doesn’t Solve the Root Causes of Poverty?
We handle problems all the time without dealing with their root causes.
nymag.com
The Facts of Life - The Bulwark
The Facts of Life – The Bulwark
My suggestion last week that perhaps the best way some of us who’ve been conservatives can now help the country is to help the Biden administration succeed, and help the Democratic party move to the center, seems to have stirred up a minor tempest in the conservative teapot. I asked whether one shouldn’t consider allying…
thebulwark.com
WSJ News Exclusive | Texas Electric Bills Were $28 Billion Higher Under Deregulation
WSJ News Exclusive | Texas Electric Bills Were $28 Billion Higher Under Deregulation
Texas’s deregulated electricity market left millions in the dark last week. For the past 20 years, its consumers have paid more for their electricity than state residents who are served by traditional utilities, a WSJ investigation found.
www.wsj.com
The making of Madison Cawthorn: How falsehoods helped propel the career of a new pro-Trump star of the far right
The making of Madison Cawthorn: How falsehoods helped propel the career of a new pro-Trump star of the far right
Cawthorn has emerged as one of the most visible figures among newly arrived House Republicans, who have promoted baseless assertions and pushed a radicalized ideology that has become a driving force in the GOP.
www.washingtonpost.com
Los Angeles Just Opened a Tiny Home Village for the Homeless
Los Angeles Just Opened a Tiny Home Village for the Homeless
The colorful community was built in just 13 weeks!
www.housebeautiful.com
California's coronavirus strain looks increasingly dangerous: 'The devil is already here'
California’s coronavirus strain looks increasingly dangerous: ‘The devil is already here’
California’s coronavirus strain is more transmissible than its predecessors, is more resistant to vaccines and may cause more severe cases of COVID-19.
www.latimes.com
More Than 150 Biz Leaders Endorse Biden's Sweeping COVID Package
More Than 150 Biz Leaders Endorse Biden’s Sweeping COVID Package
More than 150 business leaders from various industries have signed a letter backing President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief…
talkingpointsmemo.com
Exclusive: Defeated and impeached, Trump still commands the loyalty of the GOP's voters
Exclusive: Defeated and impeached, Trump still commands the loyalty of the GOP’s voters
www.usatoday.com
The Christian Prophets Who Say Trump Is Coming Again
The Christian Prophets Who Say Trump Is Coming Again
In the growing community of charismatic Christian prophecy, faith in Donald Trump’s imminent return to the White House is a new dividing line.
www.politico.com

Find us on Facebook

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Footer

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Subscribe for Free

* indicates required

Search

• Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 The Valley Citizen

Dedicated to the memory of John Michael Flint. Contact us at thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Editor and publisher: Eric Caine

Website customization and maintenance by Susan Henley Design