Only 3 percent of Covenant burglaries are forced entry

Burglaries are slightly up in the Covenant in comparison to the first six months of last year, according to RSF Patrol Chief Matt Wellhouser. At the RSF Association’s Sept. 1 meeting, Wellhouser reported that there were 10 burglaries in Rancho Santa Fe in the first six months of 2016, eight of them residential and two vehicle burglaries. There were four burglaries in the first six months of 2015.

The trend in vehicle burglaries has been seen throughout the coastal San Diego area, Wellhouser said, noting that communities such as Encinitas and Del Mar have also seen an increase over the past few months.

Of the Covenant’s burglaries, only 3 percent were forced entry.

“I encourage everybody to lock their house, don’t leave stuff in your car, lock your car and use your alarm. (These steps) are a big deterrent because a lot of our crimes are opportunistic,” Wellhouser said.

Traffic collisions are down from 110 in the first six months of 2015 to 82 in the first six months of this year. Wellhouser said speed is the number one cause of accidents and the second is inattention, everything from texting to putting on makeup or eating. He said the RSF Patrol works hard with California Highway Patrol on speed enforcement; the visibility of officers helps to slow motorists down and keep people safe on the road.

The semi-annual Patrol report also included a double-homicide as, unfortunately, the Patrol had to respond to the June 27 incident on Via de la Valle where three women, including a teenager, were killed in a double-homicide and suicide.

As Wellhouser noted, security checks for homeowners have become one of the most popular services they provide. They did over 18,000 security checks for homeowners who were on vacation or away from their home in the first six months of the year, topping out at 3,666 in the month of June. To request a vacation check, visit rsfpatrol.blogspot.com.

For Patrol Dispatch, call (858) 756-4372. For an emergency, call (858) 756-9966 or 911.