Eureka's Safer Streets
I've gotten a bit frustrated with those saying Eureka's west side is so much safer since Eureka Police Chief Garr Nielsen took over. If nothing else, I've never seen how one person- be it a district attorney or police chief- can really do much in regards crime.
I'd say crime is about the same in my neighborhood as it's always been. You don't get victimized all the time, but it does happen and we've had things stolen from us off and on for years. I got ripped off yesterday right in broad daylight.
Sometime between 1 and 4pm, alongside busy E Street, someone stole a string trimmer from the back of my truck. They not only took that one but the one I had laying along the ivy next to the driveway hoping someone would steal. It wasn't working and I was tired of putting money into it so I lay it outside hoping someone would take it. They did, but they also grabbed the one I use for work I had laying in the back of my truck.
As I've already mentioned, such things have happened before so it wasn't any great shock. I don't blame Chief Nielsen for it, either.
I decided to call Eureka P.D. to at least report the working trimmer stolen so it could be listed as stolen property. Making that call was interesting in some ways.
I wanted to call their business number and had a bit of difficulty finding the number at first. I found it odd that the City of Eureka doesn't have the Police Department's listing in the phone book highlighted in bold print. I have a hard time reading the small print on the phone book so bold helps me see things. The Fire Department and Public Works is in bold, among a handful of other agencies, but not the P.D. Hmmm??? Probably just an oversight.
When I finally found the business number and made the call, I listened to the automated recording. It gave a few numbers for different purposes and finally told me to stay on the line if the numbers they gave earlier didn't apply to my case. After all was said the recording told me to call back the next day as it was after business hours. Ooops! Didn't realize it was that late in the day. It was well after 5pm.
In closing the recording said that due to "intentional misuse" of their message machine, callers are no longer allowed to leave messages regarding business with the department. Wonder what that was all about?
Anyway, I'll call them now and just give them the stolen trimmer's description and serial number but the odds are I'll never see it again. The main thing that pisses me off is having to buy a new one but at least they didn't get my more expensive trimmer.
posted by Fred Mangels @ 9:13 AM
9 comments
9 Comments:
I wish the disposal-by-theft method worked with stuff besides gardening tools and lawn decorations.
Fred still uses the phone book?
Fred still uses the phone book?
Yep. Rarely, but I do still use it.
I wish the disposal-by-theft method worked with stuff besides gardening tools and lawn decorations.
Sometimes you just have to give it time. The Matteolis, across the street, regularly put stuff out on the sidewalk they want to get rid of. Maybe not exactly theft, but people take most of it, eventually.
My favorite disposal- by- theft story is of a lawnmower:
Years ago Marc Matteoli came by with their old beaten up, crappy lawnmower. He says, "Hey, want this mower for a spare?". It was JUNK. He just wanted to dump it on someone. I wouldn't have wanted that to even mow my own lawn. But, I just told him to leave it and I'd take care of it.
I put it on my driveway, just in front of the garage door, hoping someone would take it and there it sat. It sat there for at least two months.
Until one day I was doing some work on G Street not far from my house. I ended up with the truck stacked high with stuff going to the dump. Then I realized I could throw that old mower on top of the pile and finally get rid of it.
I drove back to my house to pick up the mower and it was gone. Someone had taken it in the two hours I was gone. How weird the timing was.
Ironic Fred. 2 hours later he gets fired. You're good.
EPD has always been "hit and miss" the few times I've needed to interact with them. I haven't noticed major changes, in fact around december I was pretty convinced that the homeless situation in Old Town was the worst I've ever seen it. Then, last month I thought the homeless situation was doing pretty well. I find it funny that the public goes after Tyson for firing Nielson. Anybody who has watched local politics should know he wouldn't do that unless a majority of the Board wanted him to do it. The writing has been on the wall since the election, hence Nielson applied for a job in Bend Oregon. Politics is nasty, and everyone who plays the game should be aware of karma.
Sweet timing Fred!
No self-respecting thief will steal garbage, Fred. Obviously, until it was given the seal of approval by a professional who had it in his work truck, did thieves realize it was valuable.
I wish people who were getting rid of stuff would put a "free" sign on it. I saw chairs back in our alley and really wanted to scavenge them for a craft project but wasn't sure that was the intention. There needs to be a universal way of distinguishing free stuff from something just left outside.
There needs to be a universal way of distinguishing free stuff from something just left outside.
There is, silly. It's called asking the owner.
"There is, silly."
Yes, there is, Fred. You should know.
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