Rash of Livermore Residential Burglaries Prompts Community Meetings, Increased Police Patrols

LIVERMORE, CA — In an effort to curb the recent increase in residential burglaries occurring throughout the south side of Livermore, police have increased patrols and met twice with the community, Captain Jeramy Young said. About 150 concerned Livermore residents met with police and city officials to discuss the burglaries during a community meeting Thursday night.

Residents on the south side of Livermore say they are on high alert since the burglaries. Several neighbors are frustrated, and say they refuse to be victimized. One victim, whose home was ransacked and burglarized, says his family lost irreplaceable heirlooms and now suffer from daily anxiety when leaving for work.

According to Young, 10 residential burglaries have been reported in the city so far this month. Four of those occurred in one neighborhood on the same day.

“Police had already increased patrols before those burglaries,” Young said. “We continue to have extra patrol and operations going on in that area. We are also examining some physical evidence and working some leads.”

Mayor John Marchand, Vice Mayor Stu Gary and Council member Spedowfski attended the neighborhood meeting.

"I was very impressed with the turnout at last night's meeting,” Marchand said. “There were over 150 residents, three City Council members and eight representatives from the police department. That shows that everyone cares about their community.

“Many residents expressed interest in setting up neighborhood watch programs and registering their surveillance cameras with the city. In the event of a crime, registering the cameras enables the police department to obtain footage that may identify suspects or their vehicles. The city has made significant investments in enforcement and investigative technologies over the past few months and those will be in place in the near future. Neighborhood police patrols, community volunteers patrols and vacation checks have also been increased.”

Marchand says the problem is not exclusive to Livermore.

“Property crime is up throughout the region and many believe it is due to early release programs mandated by State Prop. 47," Marchand said. "In the budget for the City of Livermore, our number one expense and our top priority is public safety: police and fire service."

Police officials want to help protect residents from being victimized. Young encourages neighbors to partner with the police department and start neighborhood watch groups.

The number of property crimes -- home burglaries, car burglaries, packages stolen from doorsteps -- in the Tri-Valley has soared over the past two years, frustrating residents and prompting police departments to urge everyone to “call early and often” if something seems amiss.

Click here to check the crime statistics in your Livermore neighborhood.

Related:

• Property Crimes Soar, Stealing Residents' Peace of Mind
• Livermore Police Warn of Mail Theft From Community Boxes
• Leaving Idling Cars Unattended is Illegal and Can Lead to Theft, Police Say
• 4 Arrested in Connection with Recent East Dublin Residential Burglaries
• Police Identify Jail Inmate, Boyfriend as 'Range Rover Package Thieves'

Patch Editor Bea Karnes contributed to this report.

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