TRAFFIC AND SAFETY
Tire Damage
Literally thousands of dollars of tire rubber are needlessly wasted each month at the Selva and Cabrillo gates. In every case the driver of the concerned damaged vehicle has become impatient with a preceding car, and, instead of waiting for the closing cycle to complete itself, tried to tailgate through the opening. The spikes, as they are designed to do, popped up and stopped the possible intruder’s vehicle by flattening its tires. Sadly, this occurs despite plenty of clearly posted signs warning people and directing them to the main gate.
We can minimize this costly tire damage if we warn visitors and specify the gate to enter. Recently, we had a couple of folks experience damaged tires and report that they had been coached by a resident as to how to success- fully tailgate. I don’t know how true this is, for the life of me, because the gate system is almost fool-proof.
Vehicle Burglaries
This past month has been unique in that we had several vehicles forcefully broken into during night hours and property inside stolen. I don’t remember any instance in our community over the past years where a thief has forced their way into a locked parked car and stolen anything. Until now.
We have suffered a minimal number of simple thefts from unlocked vehicles, but not a lot. There is a good incen- tive for car clouts targeting unlocked vehicles. The obvious one is that it is easier, and the consequences if caught, don’t amount to more than a slap on the wrist. On the other hand, someone forcing their way into a locked vehicle has to work harder, and if caught, faces a felony prosecution and a sen- tence that could include time in prison.
The targeted vehicles that I am aware of were parked on Leeward, Periwinkle, and Manta Court. The vehicle’s win- dows were smashed and property inside was taken. Years ago, smashing car windows was a common method of operation for car clouts, but for the past fifteen years or so, until just now, it has been too risky.
We have a couple of simple reminders that apply every time you leave your car or truck parked unattended on the street, whether here or anywhere: Lock it, and don’t leave anything of value inside.
One last thought: If you find that you are the victim of these car clouts, report the matter to our deputy sheriff. These reports will help ensure that our neighborhood will get a fair share of available patrol time.
—God Bless . . . Tim Murphy
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