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Thursday, February 21, 2008

Crime Could Be Up Or Down

By Lee Ross
Mountain View Telegraph
    Crime in the East Mountains may— or may not— be on the rise.
    The truth is, it is hard for anyone to know for certain.
    In 2007 there were 100 thefts, which does not signify a significant increase in crime, according to Robin Hopkins, a detective with the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office.
    Hopkins has patrolled the East Mountains for three years.
    "That can be anything, from 'They took my lawn gnome,' on," she said.
    There are a few problems with the statistics, however.
    "It's just like anything else, you get somebody that works hard and is proactive, the statistics are going to go up," she said, adding that the graveyard shift at the sheriff's department has been making quite a few arrests lately.
    A problem with the numbers is that those reported statistics are for just one department; the New Mexico State Police also respond to crimes in Bernalillo County.
    The numbers also account for just one county. Complicating matters are the boundaries of Santa Fe, Torrance and even Sandoval counties, which each keep their own records. That means, even if the same group of criminals is active in all those areas, there may still be no clear pattern.
    Some people from the area are paying attention to what they see as patterns, however.
    Michael Cook of East Mountain Septic Systems has a laundry list of large property crimes that have gone on in the East Mountains over the past eight years.
    That's the time he's been at his present location in Bernalillo County. He said he's seen a steady increase in crime.
    In response, he's added motion detectors, fences, gates and lights, even removed trees from his property that he thought people could hide behind. Despite those measures, Cook said he's had truck tires, cement mixers, a lawn tractor and other items stolen and had his property vandalized. He's worried the situation will continue to get worse.
    "I'm afraid that ... there's going to be an armed conflict," he said. "(Criminals) are evidently desperate enough."
    Dave Massey of Sandia Well Service agreed.
    "(Thieves) are getting awfully brave," he said.
    On Feb. 5, someone hot-wired a truck from his yard and drove it through his gate.
    "I couldn't believe that they'd ram the gate like they did," he said. "You add more security hoping that you come back the next day and everything is there."
    Massey pointed out another reason a rise in crime may not be evident in the statistics. Although he claimed the loss on his insurance, he said it's something he is reluctant to do.
    "Keeping a good insurance rating and not claiming everything on insurance is always my goal," he said. "If crime is going up, then premiums are going up for everyone ... it all has a snowball effect."
    In the interest of solving crimes, Hopkins advises that people be more open with detectives. She added that crimes are even committed by people known to the victim.
    "If you've got a suspicion, that translates to a suspect," she said. "People are really worried about retaliation or hurt feelings, especially since it's such a small community."
    She said that concern may be unfounded, because interviewing the innocent as well as the not-so-innocent is a part of any investigation.
    Hopkins encourages people to call the sheriff's department and share any information that may lead to arrests.
    "If it doesn't feel right, it's not," she said.
    Hopkins, who was recently robbed herself, added that the perception of an increase in crime may be natural for a victim of crime to feel.
    Both her police unit and her personal vehicle were broken into, she said, and her son was even the victim of a hit-and-run.
    "I'm still a mom and still a person," she said. "I just have the confidence and training to do what I do."