Burglaries: Up or Not?

I have had this sense that home and vehicle burglaries are on the up swing for about a year.  I have no data to support the gut feel yet.  I'm planning to have a meeting with our Chief soon and that will be one of my questions.  This is today's latest data point

Police are seeking help in identifying two men caught on video burglarizing a Hillsborough home Tuesday afternoon.

A home-security system caught the two men ransacking a home on the 100 block of Denise Drive around 12:39 p.m. The two suspects gained entry by breaking a large window to the rear of the residence and stole jewelry, according to Hillsborough police.

What other questions do you bloggers have for the Chief?

Comments

[Matt]

Hi, I've had many burglary-related questions! Mainly, how much do alarm systems and/or exterior security cameras deter burglars? Do they completely avoid those houses, or sometimes break in anyway? If an alarm goes off, do they leave immediately or figure it will take the police a while to respond and steal as much as they can in a few minutes? Also do they ever break into a house with security cameras and then steal the DVR so the video is gone with them?

Thanks in advance!

[Jennifer]

A long time ago, I read that the best and most efficient alarm system is a dog! Maybe in the meanwhile, a panic button doesn't hurt, either. The Hillsborough robberies have been particularly brazen, and it doesn't help that many homes do not have year-round residents.

[Freedom, safety and security.]

I once had a guy who was in the Lincoln Dads Club threaten to break into my house out of the blue, because he disagreed with my political party registration that he looked up.

The guy and his wife are so-called leaders in the community, and my wife and I were definitely afraid of his random threats and also his shocking slander of me, because of private beliefs were different than him. Don't worry, I filed a police report years ago about his actions.

So, despite his Berkeley and Harvard degrees, this guy was actually breaking the law - you don't have to live in a bad neighborhood to need solidly locked doors and windows along with perhaps the Comcast inexpensive yet expandable security system.

This also inspired me to purchase a shotgun, as I also wanted to participate in an upcoming skeet shooting tournament - the guy was slandering and harassing me and we were scared.

The readers might not agree with the 2nd amendment right to own a firearm, but then again, the readers may not understand the reality that the police can't be everywhere, instantly - especially not after a major earthquake or other civil disaster. And, as the police know themselves, some police accept payoffs and so can you count on the paid off officers to protect you? No, sorry.

You do understand who pays some of them off, right? Think Leland Yee, our former State Senator.

And, yes, I love dogs and they can help. But then, do you get the cuddly poodle or the protective Doberman?

I guess that it depends if your political beliefs happen to be the same as the majority in your neighborhood.

Another great example of why individual rights and responsibility matters.

[Russ]

Ask him why we don't have a camera installed at the intersection of Burlingame Avenue and California Drive. Much of the action is in downtown and this could help capture some of it.

[Malls do it.]

Russ, during our candidates' info sessions with the city employee management, the chief of police told us, that they don't have any cameras anywhere, as if citizens would object to that.

For as many bank robberies that we've had in our area, and for that street fight with 20 people where someone got stabbed outside of Vinyl, I'd suggest that Burlingame install security cameras in both retail districts.

And, while some retail real estate owners and some retail tenants might object or support it, and while the two BIDs should be included in the discussion, it seems like a decision to ultimately be made by the citizens of Burlingame and also by the city council and city employee leadership.

And, while no one wants cameras scoping out their personal lives, if you're shopping or going to work on Burlingame Ave, Howard, and Broadway, then your activities should be pretty straightforward.

Even as a person that supports more individual rights and responsibility and freedom from gov't encroachment - it's amazing what accountability can do for a shopping district, for a town and a community.

Malls do it.

[pat giorni]

Hey, skeet shooting sounds like fun. Is it akin to a snipe hunt? When and where is the next tournament?

[Bruce Dickinson]

Fellas, c’mon, seriously. Being a Republican is sufficient to receive threats in Burlingame solely due to political affiliation? C’mon, sorry, but there are many Republicans that I know in the area (granted they are not the majority), and none describe threats to them due to political party. It looks like we have a classic case of the “lightening rod” syndrome, that is his/her actions only invite controversy, whether it be neighbor relations, or on a blog, such as the BV. It might be Murphy’s Law, Foot-in-Mouth disease, Captain Loudmouth, Mr. Casino Cooler, or any number of aliments, what have you. I’ve seen it all, even at much higher echelons of success. Folks, it’s a two-fold problem..one if them is behavioral and the other is being self-aware of negative behavior. Before people arm to the teeth to ‘protect’ themselves, just start with the basics and don’t invite unnecessary controversy and resentment. Just look at yours truly, Bruce Dickinson. Yes, I may have wealth beyond riches and people may view my declarative success with envy, but I let people share in my fun, laugh, and have a good time. Everytime I walk out of my house, I get hellos, high-fives, maybe a lady or two winking ;) I love my neighbors and I get the sense the feeling is mutual. I’m an active participant in the Burlingame community, though sometimes I like to use the ’soft-power’ behind the scenes as it were, that is, use my rolodex and dial my guys who know their guys, ya know what i mean? Same here on this blog. A couple of curmudgeons don’t like what i have to say, but they are in the minority, and I’m certainly not here to please all, but I do speak my mind in a fun, inclusive fashion. The editors love me, the bloggers love me, and Joe can tell ya, when I post, the page views go off the charts. And never once did I have an infraction or a negative edit, despite disagreeing on many points.

Sometimes folks, before you start looking into peepholes, closed circuit TV cameras, home monitoring systems, nanny-cams, what have you, take a look in the mirror and and do a rigorous self assessment, ya know what I mean?

[resident]

I wonder if burglaries are really increasing or if Nextdoor Nosy Neighborhood is just making the ones that happen more known. I guess it could also be a bit of both/

[The Burglaries and crime in our area is real.]

Bruce, seeing that you are living a fantasy on this blog, and I even emailed with the real Bruce, and he wasn't happy with your impersonation - who knows whether anything you say is true or false.

What is true is that zealot nature of some of the Leftist in Burlingame and in nearby San Francisco.

The illegal threats and slander that I received from the self proclaimed Communist at Lincoln was long before I had identified myself as not Leftist, etc. And, yes, my children play with my neighbor's children and we chat and hang out, etc.

Ultimately, our country is great due to our freedom of speech, freedom of religion, rule of law and social mobility - all of this has attracted some of the best and brightest to legally pursue citizenship here.

Unfortunately, some in our area flip the bird at these basic values. And that guy inspired me to stand up for what's right, regardless of Captain Fantasy Bruce or Harvard MBA John disagrees with my free speech - too bad for you.

It's true, the Leftists' tradition of bashing those that have different perspectives than them (ala Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals hatred BS) has indeed silenced the thousands of Non-Leftists in Burlingame and beyond.

It's funny how my revealing the zealot nature of these Leftists somehow inspires you to talk about how great YOU are.

Fake Bruce, good job on your Ferrari. You are awesome. The 52% of the people in Burlingame, think you're a douche.

The Burglaries and crime in our area is real. You should take precautions, and security cameras in our shopping areas would root out the lurking felons on the Ave, and make it safer for prisses like Bruce to park his Ferrari.

[Bruce Dickinson]

Listen, little fella, the only thing about a broken down old man that you CAN assume, is that he is a survivor! Your whole diatribe basically just reinforced everything I stated above! In the meantime, while I post, page hits go off the charts and people chime in and have a good time. Whereas when kill-joys such as yourself post all you hear is crickets chirping, ya know what I mean?

Life is too short folks, having such a negative attitude and lashing out to the point where you get censored on this site, of all places, isn't a recipe for success in life! How else are you going to enjoy driving FerrariS, yes you saw that right, spelled with a capital "S"!! Bruce Dickinson has but little time for dead-end "debates", which is a word that is giving this exchange too much credit, ya know what I mean?

Joe and Russ are far too kind for their own good!

.....Next!

[Joe]

Believe me, I was tempted to do a heavy edit, but you need to full post to make your point about reinforcement........

[Angela Osterlich]

Unable to find a place to post this.

Ocean Honda continues to advertise Acura service by keeping the Mike Harvey Lighted Sign at the East Lane service building.

Isn't this blatant Deceptive Trade Practices? This is fraud.

The City codes people don't seem to want to do anything.

[hillsider]

Maybe they bought the Mike Harvey brand along with the dealership?