Residents stay aware, foil home burglaries
Council honors Nancy Court Neighborhood Watch program
By George Moore
All the work that has been done to organize neighborhoods in Cupertino to make the city a safer and closer knit community is paying off. At the April 15 city council meeting, members of the Nancy Court Neighborhood Watch program were recognized for their help in nabbing a suspected repeat offender thought to be responsible for a rash of burglaries in the area.
Two residents witnessed the suspect entering an unlocked vehicle parked in a neighbor's driveway. They notified the victim, who called 911 and the suspect fled the scene after taking only loose change from the vehicle.
Capt. Dennis Bacon of the Santa Clara Sheriff's Department said the result of their action and some detailed descriptions helped in an ongoing investigation, leading to the individual's arrest and the recovery of a large amount of property.
"In the scope of my duties, one of the pleasures that I have is to recognize one of our most valuable assets--the people in the community who step forward to assist us in our daily operations," Bacon said.
Rick Kitson, public information officer for the city, said that the council has made it a priority and staff has worked hard to organize the community.
"Neighborhood Watch has been one of our most successful programs," Kitson said.
The Cupertino Public Safety Commission and the sheriff's office recently launched an email community alert program that sends emails to its members--now numbering more than 700--when a crime has been committed in their neighborhood.
"The goal of these programs is to [get] the community to become the eyes and ears of the sheriff's department," Bacon said.
Bacon reminded those in attendance not to hesitate to call 911 when they see suspicious activity. He also urged people to program 408.299.2311 into their cell phones, because it bypasses some of the problems that cell phones encounter when dialing 911--the number is a direct line to county communications.
Mayor Richard Lowenthal presented a proclamation to Shirley Kinoshita on behalf of the Nancy Court residents. Kinoshita said that more than five years ago her home was burglarized during a series of home invasions targeting Asian American families, and she started a watch program on her street shortly afterward.
Kinoshita said she received an email from Sgt. Skip Shervington, community resource officer, recommending that she hold another meeting. Kinoshita broadened her outreach, adding five block captains and getting 73 percent of area residents to participate in a recent meeting.
"I do highly recommend that people get involved in the program," Kinoshita said. "It's a wonderful way to get to know your neighbors, and they really do look out for you."
Kitson said that Shervington wanted to apologize for not being able to be at the council meeting; he was conducting Neighborhood Watch training for some new members. Bacon said 20 new neighborhoods have joined the program in recent months. He said that during the past six months, with the help of calls from the public, alert deputies and ongoing investigations, 31 people have been arrested for property crimes.
"Without the involvement of the community, we are limited--with it, we are limitless," Bacon said.
Cupertino, California Since 1947
