Stephen Ellison

Residents Frustrated With Rash of Break-Ins in Livermore

An upscale Livermore neighborhood has been hit with a rash of attempted break-ins and burglaries, and residents are now calling for beefed-up police patrols.

Dozens of people showed up at a community meeting Thursday night at Independence Park to express their frustration with the crime spike -- 10 break-ins this month -- and to urge the city to take action.

"They break out the glass in this case, and they just kicked the door in," resident Drew Schultz said.

Once the thieves were inside, they ransacked their bedroom, Schultz's wife, Lynn Novak, said.

"They went through all the drawers and stole everything; almost $20,000, $30,000 worth of jewelry," Novak said.

The couple says police have been responsive, but they want more.

"We have a lot of revenue and all the wineries, it would be nice to see a lot more put into public service," Schultz said. "We want to make sure that the police department is staffed according to the city plan."

They’re not the only ones who feel that way.

"The suspects are knocking on the door, ringing the doorbell, seeing if anyone’s home," said Livermore police Capt. Jeremy Young. "If there’s no response, they commit the burglary."

Livermore police say they have 91 sworn officers on staff with only two vacancies. Some people are wondering if that’s enough.

"There’s communities a third of our size, and they have more officers per capita," Schultz said. "We’d like some input if possible to see if funds can be opened up so Livermore police can be staffed to the model that’s been set up."

The police department went to the City Council earlier this year, asking for resources to fight this problem. The council authorized licence plate readers and cameras but they haven’t been installed yet.

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