This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Crime & Safety

Terra Linda Marinwood Watch Program Launches Grassroots Effort

Retired San Rafael police officer Tom Boyd said that ongoing vigilance can keep the neighborhood from becoming a "burglar's paradise."

Over fifty residents of the Terra Linda and Marinwood areas turned out for the second neighborhood watch meeting this year to organize block captains and combat home and auto burglaries with information and awareness.

The first meeting in December 2011 had a standing room crowd of over 200, with residents alarmed over a string of burglaries that hit the area. 

The lower turnout didn’t phase the watch group’s co-organizers John Buckley and Mitra Niadj. 

Find out what's happening in San Rafaelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We don’t need 300 people here to have a successful neighborhood watch. We can do it with 50 people who are willing to serve as block captains and serve as the eyes and ears of the community,” Buckley said.

Retired San Rafael police officer, Tom Boyd, gave the residents an overview of how a neighborhood watch can work with law enforcement to increase safety. 

Find out what's happening in San Rafaelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

He began by reassuring the crowd that there was not a crime wave in the northern San Rafael community, pointing to only one case of home burglary in the immediate area in January.

“Just to let you know that residential burglaries are down, although one is too many,” Boyd said. “This is not a high crime area but that doesn’t mean that we need to be less vigilant.”

Boyd said that the neighborhoods of Terra Linda and Marinwood were a “burglar’s paradise” because the properties are surrounded by open space and because trusting residents are making it easy for crime with unlocked vehicles and open garage doors.

He added that sometimes a burglary group will “work” a neighborhood over a three to four month period before moving on or that one individual can be responsible for a series of burglaries.

Communication through e-mail, Facebook and the neighborhood watch website would help arm the community with information to prevent multiple hits, according to Boyd.

But he warned residents against getting “amped-up on catching bad guys.”

“What I recommend is that you weave this into the fabric of your everyday life,” Boyd said.

“When you go to pick up your newspaper, just be aware.  You know your neighborhood and you know your neighbors…that’s valuable information.”

He said that in a recent case the only lead the sheriff’s department had was a report that there was a white van involved. That information led to an arrest when the van was spotted in the area.

“That’s how little the information can be to solve the crimes and prevent more crimes,” Boyd said.

Buckley says so far the outreach program sponsored by the Las Gallinas Lions Club is working. A website was established and has had over 10,000 page views and a link to a Facebook page.

The website will give neighbors a head's up on recent criminal activity and currently has a post of a home burglary that was reported on Golden Hinde on Valentines Day.

The website reported that the homeowner left the house mid-day and came home to find her front door pried open by a crowbar. Missing were electronics, passports and credit cards.

Boyd confirmed that computers laptops, iPads, and jewelry are a hot commodity for would-be thieves because they are easy to carry off.

“It’s rare to take big stuff. It’s rare for someone to take a wide screen TV,” he said. 

For more information on the Terra Linda & Marinwood Neighborhood Watch Program, click this link.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.