The Morongo Basin Municipal Advisory Council, the MAC, met last night in Joshua Tree. While the anticipated report from CalTrans on changes proposed for downtown Joshua Tree was postponed, the MAC heard some good news from local Law Enforcement.
If you’re feeling a bit safer in the Morongo Basin these days, there’s a reason: crime in almost every category dropped last year from 2015. The only exceptions were robberies, which stayed the same, and simple assaults, which went up slightly. But three major crimes—murder, rape and burglary—occurred at their lowest rates in five years. All of which resulted in the fewest bookings since 2012.
The good news was part of the sheriff’s annual report delivered by Captain Jeff Joling at last night’s meeting of the Morongo Municipal Advisory Council. His advice for maintaining it: lock your doors, install alarms and join a neighborhood watch.
The report was delivered in place of a cancelled Caltrans update on plans to make Highway 62 safer. That subject came up anyway, though, when resident Gayle Austin reported erecting a banner in downtown Joshua Tree reading “Save Lives—Drive 35 miles-per-hour.” The idea was met with general approval.
