Police town hall meeting, follow-up

San Francisco Examiner/Brendan P. Bartholomew, 2/26/17. "Pacifica police reassure public over recent crime wave." 

Surprise!

"A mini crime-wave that struck Pacifica and left residents on edge this month appears to be dying down, and police say arrests may be forthcoming. ....  At a packed town hall event Thursday night, Police Chief Dan Steidle said police are pursuing leads, and acknowledged the lack of immediate justice can be frustrating for community members.

....  ...  'If you see somebody kicking in a door or climbing in through a window, don’t assume it’s because he lives there and forgot his key,' Steidle said. 'Call the police and let us determine what’s going on— it’s what we’re here for.' While some residents view the recent robberies and burglaries as being part of a larger trend, Steidle said the robberies are almost certainly unrelated to the burglaries.

....  Unlike the Safeway robber, Steidle said the suspects responsible for the home burglaries prefer to avoid any direct contact with their victims, with all the burglaries occurring on weekdays, between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., when residents are likely to be at work.  ....   At Thursday’s town hall meeting (2/23/17), Steidle emphasized that sharing information about crime and safety on a private social media site is not necessarily helpful to police if officers don’t have access to the site. Reporting suspicious incidents to police is much more effective, he said. 'You know what should be going on at your neighbor’s house and across the street,' Steidle said. 'If you’re afraid of being wrong and you don’t want to give us your name, you don’t have to"."  Read more.
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Reference, police town hall meeting.  Connect with Pacifica/Lorie Tinfow/City Manager, Week of 2/20/2017. "Last night (2/23/17) Police Chief Dan Steidle and Captain Chris Clements hosted a community meeting to discuss the recent spate of residential burglaries. Mayor O'Neill, Council members Digre and Vaterlaus and I joined them. Well over a hundred community members attended to hear from the Chief and ask him questions. Click here for a copy of the presentation.  Remember, if you “See Something, Say Something”. Immediately report any suspicious activity by calling the police department at 650-738-7314. Don't be reluctant to call the police; let our officers determine if the strangers have a legitimate purpose in your neighborhood. You may find this "Home Security Tip Sheet" helpful for other safety tips. Solving these crimes is a high priority and as soon as the criminals are apprehended, the Chief will make an announcement. ...."     Note graphic. Burglar/sleeping cat image image from Clipart Kid, 3/18/16.  

Posted by Kathy Meeh