July 5, 2007

Safety first

An interview with SJPD Southern Division Commander
Capt. David Cavallaro lists top concerns for area residents

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

With almost five months as San Jose Police Depart-ment [SJPD] southern division commander, Capt. David Cavallaro is excited to be back on patrol.

“A lot of people avoid patrol. They want to get someplace else so they can have weekends off. I really enjoy it. You’re out an about and get to met a lot of interesting people and some not so interesting.” said SJPD southern division commander Capt. David Cavallaro. Photos by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

That’s the way it works with SJPD, when an officer is promoted in rank they are back on patrol. And it’s where Cavallaro likes to be.

“A lot of people avoid patrol,” said the amiable and knowledgeable Cavallaro. “They want to get someplace else so they can have weekends off. I really enjoy it. You’re out an about and get to met a lot of interesting people and some not so interesting.”

This enthusiasm for the job has sustained Cavallaro through his 25-years with the department rising through the ranks with assignments of patrol, field training officer, undercover in vice and intelligence, auto theft, gang investigation and internal affairs.

The SJPD southern division is the largest in the area [covering four City districts] and most populous area of San Jose. Recent statistics have identified increases in auto theft, residential burglary and auto burglary and Cavallaro has made them the southern division’s top three priorities. He hopes to decrease these crimes with policing and resident involvement.

Auto theft and burglary
“Auto theft is a huge crime on the increase right now,” said Cavallaro who spent three years in the auto theft unit. “It’s easy to steal cars because the manufacturers didn’t do a good job with locks. The Toyota and Honda are stolen the most maybe with a shaved key or even a dip stick.”

Cavallaro suggests not warming a vehicle up saying it is unnecessary in California and a perfect situation for an auto thief. Park the car in the garage. If that isn’t possible, lock the doors and don’t leave valuable property in the vehicle because “an experienced thief 30 seconds to break a car window.” Install an alarm or The Club—the steering wheel lock—as a deterrent to would be thieves.

Residential Burglary
“Some people forget that San Jose is the tenth largest city,” said Cavallaro. “I listen to residents say that they never experienced problems before. The mindset is that San Jose is safe and it is still the safest city [with a population of over 500,000.] It is our job to educate them.”

Cavallaro advises locking doors and windows even if residents are home. Don’t leave keys under mats. Take a look at the front of the residence. Are there places where a thief could hide? Trim the excess foliage and install motion sensor lights. Invest in an alarm system if possible. Dogs can be useful but be a responsible pet owner. No one wants to hear a constantly barking canine. Keep an eye out for strangers and suspicious vehicles in your neighborhood and call 911 if this occurs.

Cavallaro encourages residents to form a neighborhood watch. Start with a meeting and invite SJPD.

“One thing that we know for sure, is that criminals do not like neighborhoods that are organized and residents who look out for each other,” said Cavallaro. “Also, please report these thefts to the PD. It helps me do two things: if we know about it, then we will be able to direct resources to the problem and impact it. And it helps me obtain more police officers for our division.”

The Almaden Montivideo area was cause for alarm with a high number of burglaries and auto thefts and break-ins earlier this year. Residents notified police of vehicles and suspects which resulted in the arrest of Charles Morgan responsible for many of the crimes.

The Foothill Division in the Evergreen/Silver Creek area had over 60 burglaries in the last 6 to 8 months. Thieves would break in at night when residents were home stealing laptops, cell phones, cameras and other valuables. They caught the burglars who were fleeing in an auto that resulted in a car crash. They were high school students from the area.

Be aware
Two weeks ago at the Oakridge Mall a 14-year old Hispanic male was attacked by 4-5 other males. Two of the suspects had weapons; the others punched and kicked the victim who also sustained a cut on the face. One suspect is in custody and others are identified and being investigated.

“It was gang related,” said Cavallaro. “Not a good way to start the summer out there but we will increase our presence as much as we can to prevent future occurrences.”

Two adults and one juvenile were arrested in connection to burglary cases around the Santa Teresa High School area. The suspects have been connected to 12 cases so far with the potential for more made with fingerprint hits. They were active around the Gunderson High School area and used the Light Rail system for transportation.

Cavallaro is also concerned about a con targeting elderly residents. The burglars pose as water or service employees complete with clipboard and hard hat saying they need to check pipes, etc., to gain access. While one person keeps the occupant busy, the other steals valuable items. If anyone comes to the door using this ruse, Cavallaro says do not let them in and call the cable or utility company to see if they have in fact sent someone out. This ploy has been used over a dozen times in the past four or five months in San Jose and a few times in the southern district.

“They prey on our trusting residents,” said Cavallaro. “It’s one of the oldest con games. We’re not sure how they’re picking their victims whether they’re watching grocery stores, pharmacies. It’s very disconcerting.”

Motorized scooters are a concern for residents. Many have been sold without knowledge of the rules that a person must be 16-years old and have a valid driver’s license. SJPD has visited businesses to educate the sellers as well as presenting packages regarding laws to the parents who buy them for their kids.

Another concern that Cavallaro hears frequently is how often neighborhoods are patrolled. He received such a question recently from the residents on Communications Hill where many new tracts have been built.

“I’m not going to play the staffing card,” said Cavallaro. “Yes, we’re at 1998 levels. I’m not going to allow that to deter me from what I’m trying to accomplish and that is to give you the best service we can with the staffing that we have. My big thing is that if we do more than is expected, we’ll always be okay.”

Proactive Police Work
And with that idea SJPD’s Impact Program identifies the top crime problems in an area. The Southern Division lists auto theft, residential burglary and auto burglary as the key offenses. A priority at SJPD is to collect physical evidence. Another procedure is probation searches of paroles to see if they are violating the terms of their parole. And Cavallaro also has a special request of all residents.

“A lot of residents have information that is valuable to us,” said Cavallaro. “Like vehicles visiting a home in the middle of the night for a few minutes or unknown people or autos in a neighborhood. The more calls the more we can direct resources where they are needed.”

“We have a high standard and a high expectation of our officers. I’m a big believer in the proactive work—working with residents. I tell people to call. If you don’t call, we’ll never know.”

To contact Capt. Cavallaro call (408) 277-4631 or email david.cavallaro@sanjoseca.gov. To report a crime in progress call 911.