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By Administrator, February 25, 2009 10:35 am

Vandals hit more than 45 vehicles

By Dana Yates

Dozens of San Carlos residents awoke to find their tires slashed and some windshields smashed after midnight vandals wreaked havoc on the quiet community.

Sometime between midnight and 6 a.m. Saturday, vandals slashed the tires of 44 cars and smashed windshields of two cars. The crime spree spread across the city’s south end, mostly in the White Oaks neighborhood, according to the San Carlos Police Department.

Residents were so disturbed by the maliciousness they planned to ask for immediate action at last night’s City Council meeting.

“We’re a little concerned about the frequency of this in recent months,” said White Oaks resident Ken Castle. “It’s a real wake-up call to the neighborhood to have this kind of act going on and to find out it is one of many such activities.”

Castle said the crime spree has residents organizing a neighborhood association and considering a host of solutions — hiring a private patrol, forming a neighborhood watch and installing surveillance cameras.

Police officers initially received two reports from residents at the intersection of Aster Road and Woodland Avenue about slashed tires, but found multiple vandalisms when they canvassed the neighborhood. The path of vandalism continued south on Woodland Avenue, west to Greenwood Avenue and Cedar Street, and south to Easton Avenue, according to San Carlos police.

San Carlos police Sgt. Mark Robbins said the best way to combat such vandalism is a combination of vigilant policing and neighborhood cooperation.

“Residents can make sure they call us right away,” Robbins said.

Often, residents will tell police in a course of an investigation that they heard something suspicious the night before but did not want to bother calling police. Robbins said it is important to call police.

The city does not sponsor any formal neighborhood watch program, but residents can start informal programs or simply get to know their neighbors, Robbins said.

Police do not have suspect information, but Robbins said it’s not unusual for such acts to be committed by younger people.

“It’s nothing but malicious. There is nothing to be gained from this,” Robbins said.

Anyone with information about the vandalisms should call the San Carlos Police Department at 802-4200.

Dana Yates can be reached by e-mail: dana@smdailyjournal.com or by phone (650) 344-5200 ext. 106.

Reprinted with permission of San Mateo Daily Journal