Opinion: Property crime rising in S. Lake Tahoe

Source: SLTPD

By Brian Uhler

In order to keep you informed, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department will be compiling a monthly report to the community. This report will provide the latest information about crimes and give some crime prevention tips that might help us be a safer and more secure community.

In January, we completed our annual Uniform Crime Report. Details about the Uniform Crime Reporting system along with searchable databases about crime nationally, in California, other cities, and South Lake Tahoe may be found online.

The five-year trend for South Lake Tahoe is very clear. Property crime is up and violent crime appears to be fairly flat. Last summer we interrupted a ring of burglars through a surveillance effort that led to their arrest in Nevada. Recovery of a large amount of property came about through these arrests.

Brian Uhler

Many of the aggravated assaults were related to gang and drug activities in our community. Domestic violence is also disproportionately high.

In 2013, there were 131 burglaries, 89 aggravated assaults and 16 robberies.

On the positive side, SLEDNET [South Lake El Dorado Narcotics Enforcement Team], which combats drug related crime, is being supported in our region even though the state has withdrawn funding. Further, the SLTPD partners with Live Violence Free to help curb domestic violence.

So, what can we do about crime? Some simple crime prevention efforts enacted by our entire community can help. For a crime to occur, there are: (1) a target or victim, (2) a criminal, and (3) opportunity. When opportunity is eliminated, crimes do not occur. The thing you control is opportunity so here are three things you can do to take away or minimize a criminal’s opportunity:

• Keep your property secure.

• Stay aware of your surroundings and people who may pose a threat.

• Alert the police quickly to suspicious circumstances

Brian Uhler is the police chief in South Lake Tahoe.