Rancho Santa Fe Patrol chief says crime remains low in Rancho Santa Fe

Rancho Santa Fe Patrol Chief Matt Wellhouser offered a “snapshot of activity” for the first six months of the year at the Aug. 4 RSF Association meeting. There was not a lot of change in the crime numbers from the first six months of 2010: There have been 14 burglaries in Rancho Santa Fe so far this year, up one from the same months last year. Of the burglaries, 13 were residential and one vehicle.

The Ranch did have one “hot prowl” burglary, which means the suspect breaks in while a resident is still at home. In this case, dogs barking scared the suspect away and nothing was stolen.

Wellhouser said there was a big jump in traffic collisions, from 48 in the first six months of 2010 to 63 accidents in 2011. Wellhouser attributes the increase to the rainy winter and spring. None of the accidents in 2011 have involved major injuries and the primary collision cause appears to be excessive speed.