By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Property crimes like thefts and burglaries are an everyday fact of life for Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office investigators, but county residents can protect their valuables by taking simple, common sense precautions.
Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez and VVSO Lt. Gina Garcia, who heads the sheriff’s office criminal investigations division, spoke to the 830 Times about property crime in the county during an interview at the sheriff’s office Friday.
“Burglaries are still happening within our county,” Garcia said, adding the burglaries are likely not being committed by persons who have entered the country illegally.
“The illegals are not the ones breaking into houses. We’ve got our own local crooks here, or we’ve got crooks that are coming from Acuña and going back,” Martinez said.
“It’s just continuous. It hasn’t stopped,” Garcia added.
She noted Val Verde County residents could protect themselves from becoming the victims of burglaries by using simple strategies.
“I tell people, lock your car, lock your doors, lock your windows. Don’t leave anything visible that could be stolen, because they’re out there, at all hours of the day and night,” Garcia said.
Garcia said another problem is that persons who become the victims of home or vehicle burglaries often don’t have good descriptions of their valuables, such as photos or serial numbers.
“These are things that help us look for, find and retrieve stolen items and property,” Garcia said.
She noted persons often don’t even have descriptions of their vehicles, including vehicle identification numbers.
In areas where burglaries are more common, Garcia recommended installing doorbell or even game cameras on the property. Burglar alarms, too, can act as a noisy deterrent.
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