Patrols beefed up after rash of area ‘smash-and-grabs’

It just takes a couple of minutes to run into a local coffee shop and leave with a steaming cup of java.

That’s also about the time it takes a thief to smash a car window and grab a purse, cell phone or laptop computer, Benicia police Lt. Frank Hartig said.

Benicia residents have been reporting a lot of such “smash-and-grab” thefts, Hartig said, particularly when they’ve parked for a quick stop for their favorite hot beverages.

“We’ve had a lot of window smashes at Starbucks and coffee kiosks,” he said.

Similar incidents have happened when people have gone in to pay for gasoline, he said. “They leave stuff in the front seat. When customers return, their items are gone.”

Starting last month, enough reports came in that Benicia Police Department revised its patrol schedule.

As part of that Dec. 20 change, the department has reallocated patrol officers and worked with its investigators so that both marked and undercover patrols cruise past places where such break-ins are likely to happen, Hartig said.

“Each morning, about 5 a.m. on, officers are checking parking lots,” he said. Since the new patrol strategy started and police presence has been more visible, there have been no reported break-ins, he said.

The change also brought about a surprising discovery that resulted in merchandise recovery and an arrest Dec. 20, the first day the new patrols went into effect, he said.

An officer on patrol at Southampton Shopping Center noticed a man was putting large, loaded garbage bags out of sight among some plants, Hartig said. The officer investigated and discovered the bags contained bottles of liquor taken from Raley’s Supermarket, which is being remodeled.

A man accused in connection with the theft was identified as Matthew Robert Sasser, 43, of Oakley. Sasser has been charged with burglary and possession of stolen property.

“He was a Questmark employee foreman. Questmark was contracted by Raley’s to complete the floor of their remodel at the Benicia Raley’s,” Hartig said. The liquor was recovered, he said.

He called that discovery an example of good police work, as well as “luck meets preparedness.”

But the focus of the new patrols is prevention of smash-and-grabs like the rash of thefts reported in December, Hartig said.

Residents can help discourage such incidents, too, he said, by not leaving tempting items on their car seats, in view of passersby.

Hartig said those who know they’ll be stopping for coffee or to fuel their cars should put such valuables as computers in the trunks of their cars, and take purses, satchels and cell phones with them when they go inside for purchases, even if they expect to be away from their cars only a short time.

He said the same goes for those visiting automatic teller machines, stops that tempt customers to make another mistake. “Turn your car off and lock it,” he said.

Too many motorists leave their car running when they use ATMS, and “one or two minutes is all it takes. People are brazen.”

He also recommended ATM users check their surroundings and leave if they believe someone is crowding them in hopes of seeing them punch in their private identity numbers. Nor should they use a machine that looks suspicious.

Those who feel uneasy should leave and go to a different machine, he said.

Hartig also urged ATM users to make sure they have completed a transaction and are signed out before they leave, so that anyone behind them won’t have access to their account.

Those uneasy about a site should report suspicious activities at those locations, and let police check out the situation, Hartig said.

“Use common sense,” he said.