Crime in Rocklin is decreasing

The Rocklin City Council was presented with the 2022 Police Department Annual Report at Tuesday's City Council meeting. Rocklin crime analyst Shawn Baird put together the report and presented it at the meeting. According to the report, crime has decreased by 6 percent from the previous year. A total of 1,080 crimes were reported this year, compared to the 1,146 reported in 2021. There were a total of 88 reported violent crimes compared to last year's reported 106 reported violent crimes, which is a 17-percent decrease. There were 992 reported property crimes compared to last year's 1,040 reported property crimes, a 5-percent decrease. Shoplifting made up 72 percent of all crime for the year. Rocklin Police Chief Rustin Banks attributes the rise in shoplifting to stores not reporting shoplifting incidents. According to Banks, Walmart and Target locations have been implementing policies that tell employees to only report higher valued items to police. He said the department is encouraging stores to report more incidents to decrease the amount of shoplifting incidents. The Police Department is working to combat shoplifting via its C.O.P.P.S. Unit, according to Banks. The Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (C.O.P.P.S.) Unit serves the community in many ways, such as participating in Neighborhood Watch Meetings, helping alleviate traffic concerns and providing resources to the homeless population, according to a presentation at the Jan. 24 City Council meeting. The Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving Unit has "conducted numerous" operations to stop shoplifting at Walmart and Target locations, according to Banks. "We've had tremendous success with our C.O.P.P.S. Unit" in other areas as well, Banks said, including helping the homeless 32 times this year thanks to "consistency with outreach." In 2022, the Homeless Outreach Team, which recently combined with the Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving Unit , made 123 outreach contacts and 64 outreach referrals. Outreach contacts and referrals help provide resources to the homeless population, such as driver's license fee payment assistance, emergency shelter, food insecurity support, case management, and more, according to the report. Vehicle burglary accounted for 49 percent of thefts and 35-percent total crime for 2022. Vehicle burglaries often occur when valuables are left in the car in plain sight but can sometimes occur even when valuables are left under seats. One of the common concerns that the City Council has is also the theft of catalytic converters. According to Banks, it only takes seconds for thieves to jack the car up and saw the part from the car's bottom. Banks said the department is working on continuing to educate residents about the dangers of leaving valuables in the car and how to prevent catalytic converter thefts. Councilmember David Bass expressed concerns about the Placer County District Attorney's Office's rise in fentanyl-related death murder charges affecting next year's numbers. "Are we going to anticipate a rise in the number of homicides because of the way our DA is charging [people]?" Bass asked. "This is not a criticism at all. I fully support the charging of murder but do we anticipate a change in the homicide numbers?" Banks replied, "That is something we do take very seriously. It's a complete change for us on how we process that scene and the steps we take. But the communication between us and the DA's Office is really great right now, so I'm confident that those are going to be treated appropriately." Rocklin Vice-Mayor Greg Janda also asked what the department's plan is for educating the public about fentanyl. "I know a lot of it's in the media but what are we doing directly with the kids?" Janda asked. Banks said the department frequently meets with the D.A. to discuss the city's outreach with the community and that talking to parents and youth as well as the 1PillCanKillPlacer campaign has been successful. "We continue to take every opportunity to shout that message and it's going to be a combination of education and enforcement, and we are really proactive in both of those regards," Banks said. The Police Department is proud of its low use of force, according to Banks. Officers used force 20 times. Bodily force was used 14 times, taser was used four times, baton was used once, and K9 was used once. The use of force made up less than 1.6 percent of the total 1,215 arrests made this year, according to the report. "We have it good," Banks said about the department, referencing the rise in decreased respect for law enforcement in general across the U.S. "This past year, I have seen what I can only describe is a special relationship between the Rocklin Police Department and the community." Janda said that despite the police outlook in the U.S., he appreciates the Rocklin department's "integrity and transparency at all levels." Councilmember Bill Halldin said, "Thank you to the whole department for all your work. It is very clear to me that what makes Rocklin an attractive place is that it's a safe place to live." Councilmember Jill Gayaldo also emphasized that the department brings "comfort" to the community because of their commitment to safety. Councilmember Bass said, "We'll support you regardless of where the numbers are at." If the city ever saw a rise in the number of crimes, Bass added, it could be attributed to the department "catching more people."