A packed house was on hand for last night’s Morongo Basin MAC Meeting. Reporter David Haldane said concerns about local crime were front and center…
An overflow crowd turned out for the Morongo Basin Municipal Advisory Council meeting last night to hear a panel of law officers tell it like it is.
The verdict: while crime overall has marginally decreased, home burglaries have jumped by 130 percent since 2014, especially in Joshua Tree. Sheriff’s Captain Jeff Joling explained why. “Most property crime, when it comes to residential burglaries, is cyclical. It typically involves a group of people who have joined in the enterprise of local crime.”
But law enforcement officers aren’t supermen, a fact forcefully pointed out by several residents in attendance. The answer, he said: “It’s truly a neighborhood watch thing. It involves a partnership with a community.”
Michelle Bergey, a county deputy district attorney, agreed. “Please don’t lose heart. Keep reporting. Keep calling. Be vigilant. Make reports. People are breaking into houses? Trust me, we want those to hold those people accountable.”
MORONGO BASIN MAC HEARS CONCERNS ABOUT PROPERTY CRIME INCREASE
