Thefts From Cars On The Rise In Pleasanton

PLEASANTON, CA — The Pleasanton Police Department saw an increase in the number of thefts from both locked an unlocked cars in 2019, with thieves taking anything from backpacks and laptops to loose change.

Reports of theft from locked cars jumped 48 percent last year, from 288 reports in 2018 to 426 reports in 2019, said Sgt. Julie Fragomeli. Thefts from unlocked cars in Pleasanton jumped 28 percent, from 220 reports in 2018 to 282 reports in 2019.

It's likely that thefts from unlocked cars may be underreported, as people may think they've lost an item that was actually stolen, Fragomeli said in an email.

Police have received reports of people going from car to car, checking door handles to see if the owners left their car unlocked, she said.

Why the increase?

Fragomeli attributes it to Proposition 47, a ballot initiative passed by California voters in 2014 that sought to take savings from incarcerating fewer people and put that money into treatment interventions, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. Prop 47 changed some drug possession and theft offenses from felonies to misdemeanors, among other things.

PPIC researchers concluded Prop 47 may have impacted property crime rates. Researchers did not find changes when it came to burglaries or auto thefts, but saw a 9 percent increase in larceny thefts — or an additional 135 thefts per 100,000 residents — compared to other states.

Fragomeli advises that people always take their valuables and bags with them and lock their doors., even if they're just running into a store.