In light of recent criminal activity — including a string of burglaries and a serious case of vehicle vandalism — in the otherwise quiet Bird Rock neighborhood, residents have banded together to ramp up safety efforts by heightening patrols with local Neighborhood Watch teams, communicating with local police and addressing safety concerns to the Bird Rock Community Council (BRCC). “We’re certainly having a problem with burglaries in the area,” BRCC President Joe Parker said of the string of residential burglaries that occurred in Upper Hermosa on March 12. “The latest incident with vandalism to the vehicle got my attention. Whether it is due to added presence in the neighborhood because of spring breakers, I’m not sure. … My hope is that this was an isolated incident.” The vehicle vandalism, which occurred in the early morning hours of April 6, caused nearly $5,000 in damage to Bird Rock resident Bob Coates’ vehicle. Coates’ neighbor, Lance Pelky, suggested that overgrown vegetation on Moss Lane provides cover for criminals and allows illegal activity to continue. “Locals and others continue to do illegal drinking, drugging, sexing and all kinds of bad things right in front of my house,” he said in an email to community leaders. “We need the vegetation and trees cleared from that view corridor and more police presence to slow down all these illegal activities.” He said the city should be responsible for clearing the vegetation, since it is city-owned property that is causing and attracting illegal and dangerous activity. “We need help to stop the madness,” he said. Parker said Pelky did the right thing in contacting local community leaders about his concerns. “Since we have raised the awareness of the burglaries and related incidents with the neighborhood, [neighbors] are responding as Lance is responding, which is exactly what we want them to do,” said Parker. “The BRCC, neighborhood, San Diego Police Department and [District 1 City Councilwoman] Sherri Lightner’s office have taken an active role in that area, and we think we’re being successful.” Police presence in the area has already been augmented with extra bike teams, and more patrol is soon to come, said Lt. Paul Rorrison of SDPD’s Northern Division. “We’ve got officers directly addressing the area of Moss and the beach access down there, and as the summer ramps up we are going to continue that,” Rorrison said. “We’re also going to have an extra beach team that starts on the 28th of this month.” Rorrison commended the actions of local residents who are working with police to help suppress illegal activity in their neighborhood. “We’re getting a lot more calls from local residents that are working with the police when they see suspicious activity, which is helping us greatly,” he said. “It shows us where the locations are where there are concerns in Bird Rock, which is great because we can send extra patrol down to that area.” Rorrison and Parker both advised neighbors to remain vigilant, report suspicious activity and get involved in the Neighborhood Watch and community meetings. “When criminal activity is observed, call the police and let BRCC know when these incidents occur so we can extend information to the neighborhood,” said Parker. “If you’re leaving town, tell neighbors so you have an extra set of eyes on your house.” Parker said the best way to combat crime is through good old-fashioned neighborly awareness and communication. “That is the hallmark of Bird Rock,” he said. “We communicate with each other. We look out for each other.” Community resources: • To report an emergency, dial 9-1-1. • To report suspicious activity, call SDPD’s 24-hour non-emergency hotline at (619) 531-2000. • To share neighborhood concerns, email Joe Parker at [email protected], call (619) 615-5293, or attend BRCC meetings on the first Tuesday of every month. For more information, visit www.birdrock.org. • To contact SDPD Northern Division, email [email protected] or call (858) 552-1700.