Captain Rick Ells of the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Station points out the areas in Green Valley Lake where over 30 burglaries have occurred in the last four months. (Photo by Michael P. Neufeld)
By Michael P. Neufeld
Green Valley Lake, CA – Captain Rick Ells of the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Station addressed the recent hike in residential burglaries in Green Valley Lake indicating his deputies are working to clear as many of the break-ins as possible.
“It’s a difficult crime to stop,” Captain Ells, “because there are so many homes empty during the week, no fences, no streetlights and it’s easy for individuals to identify the vacant residences.”
RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES
Ells explained that in the last four months there have been over 30 residential break-ins in Green Valley Lake including SEVEN (7) the first week of this month.
“I have assigned two deputies to help solve the incidents,” Ells explained. “They’re spending about half their time working the cases, doing a lot of drivearounds and creating a high profile in the area. We’re working to get a handle on it.”
PRISON REALIGNMENT
Captain Ells reported the burglars are “nothing but drug addicts” who are on the street because of prison realignment that transfers what prison officials describe as “low-risk” state inmates to county jails.
San Bernardino County, already facing crowded jail conditions, has been forced to allow non-violent and non-sexual inmates to be released with little or no jail time.
“The heroin addicts committing these burglaries, ” Ells emphasized, “are candidates for release because of the nature of their crimes. In the past, they would be jailed for 90 days or more and dried up before they were released. That isn’t happening under realignment.”
OTHER CRIMES
Green Valley Lake has not had a violent crime in well over 10 years, according to Sheriff’s Department records. That list includes armed robberies and serious assault.
“They aren’t coming into homes at night,” Captain Ells reported. “It just hasn’t happened.”
Ells was responding to a ROTWNEWS question about reports Green Valley Lake residents were arming themselves to protect their property and families.
CRIME TIPS
Captain Ells urged residents to pay attention to what’s going on in their community and report suspicious activity like people walking in neighborhoods at 3 a.m. Such activity should be reported.
“We will come up,” he noted.
Ells suggested people get to know their neighbors and know when someone should be in the home next door.
“Installing motion detection lights are also a good idea,” Captain Ells explained.
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