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Holladay Crime Trends and Prevention

Aug 22, 2016 01:36PM ● By Carol Hendrycks
By Carol Hendrycks | [email protected]
 
Burglary is on the rise in Holladay. The definition of a burglary, as explained by Holladay Unified Police Department Chief Don Hutson, is the act of entering a building or a vehicle with the intent to commit a theft and is one of the most common crimes investigated. The landscape of Holladay is heavily wooded in areas, with limited lighting and quiet neighborhoods, which attract perpetrators who are looking for an opportunity to unlawfully enter your home or vehicle and take items that don’t belong to them.
 
Residents are reminded the Holladay Precinct has detectives who actively work these cases and have had recent successes catching burglars through a variety of investigative means as they attempt to turn their stolen property into cash. 
 
Law enforcement would much prefer the prospective burglars don’t even attempt to get into a house or vehicle and they need Holladay residents help to make that a reality. 
 
Hutson reminds residents to make their homes and vehicles a “hardened target” by always locking doors and keeping valuables out of the sight of a would-be burglary. Leave lights on and always be on the lookout for people hanging around cars or homes who don’t belong there. 
Currently, there has been an influx of bicycle-related thefts. The bicycles are reportedly being transported out of Utah. This makes recovery extremely difficult Law enforcement advises locking up a bicycle. In most cases the bicycles are stolen from unlocked garages, carports and yards. Residents are also advised to take a photograph of the bicycle, including the serial number, model number and unique features, to help police list the property as stolen on the National Crime Information Center. This makes it harder for the suspect to sell the stolen property and easier for police to locate it.

Hutson told the city council the Holladay police are on top of the busy crime spree. Addressing a population just over 30,000, at least three officers are assigned to every shift in for coverage. Holladay also shares resources with Millcreek when additional officers may be required. There could be times when an officer is off or at training when Holladay would have less than three, but that is not on a regular basis. Holladay also has detectives, traffic cars and school officers in the city on a daily basis. 
 
Neighborhoods can become more vigilant as well. Residents are asked to report suspicious activity and look out for their neighbors. Residents are advised to not hesitate to call if something seems out of the ordinary. The non-emergency number to dispatch is 801-743-7000. Adding this number to your phone will help to speed things along when you spot something. Officers do not advise residents to approach or investigate a situation alone.
 
Over the last month, social media has played an important role in Holladay for bringing awareness to Holladay neighborhoods and local law enforcement, including an app called Nextdoor. The Holladay precinct also follows up on this app  and is engaged in conversation as needed, but encourages all residents to report crimes directly to their precinct. The app is available to download on a cell phone or home computers.

“Residents be engaged and watch out for one another as neighborhoods are the eyes and ears of the police department in the neighborhoods of our city,” Hutson said. “If you are interested in formalizing your engagement in your community, please contact Holladay precinct office at 801-272-0426 and they will give you the information to sign up for our neighborhood watch program.”