Driving drunk is never a good idea – and doing so during the St. Patrick's Day weekend in Citrus Heights could cost drivers a pot of gold.
Citrus Heights police again will field "saturation" drunken driving patrols on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights. The effort will provide at least four extra patrol cars on the streets, Sgt. Eric Mattke, police traffic unit supervisor, said Monday.
Officers working the special shifts also write speeding tickets and enforce all the other traffic laws with a "zero tolerance" policy.
On Sunday night, weather permitting, the police will set up a DUI checkpoint on Auburn Boulevard near Twin Oaks Avenue.
"DUI is a big factor in many traffic collisions throughout the region," Mattke said. "We have had several serious incidents recently. We are lucky that they did not result in fatalities."
The enforcement operations are funded by a special grant obtained from the state Office of Traffic Safety.
Drivers can expect similar enforcement efforts on almost a weekly basis for the next several months, Mattke said.
Burglary ploy alleged
Fair Oaks community activists are circulating an e-mail to neighbors and local elected officials warning about things that go bump in the night – and in the daytime, too.
Burglars casing homes may be throwing rocks or other heavy objects at the outside walls of residences, just to see if anyone investigates, turns on a light or at least peeks out a window. If there is no response, the prowler may attempt entry via the backyard.
Sgt. Tim Curran, Sacramento County sheriff's spokesman, said Thursday that he had not seen the neighborhood note. He checked with burglary detectives in the Fair Oaks area, and they were not aware of any reports specifically mentioning that modus operandi, Curran said.
But, the neighbors may be on to something, he said. The reported trick sounds like a variation on a ploy in which burglars go down a street ringing doorbells or knocking on doors to see who's home, Curran said.
Roseville police are tracking at least one such burglary suspect who has used the method several times. On March 4, a Roseville woman was too busy to answer her doorbell, and a few minutes later she surprised a stranger who had entered her house. The man fled out the front door, according to Bee file reports.
Law enforcement officials generally encourage residents to avoid residential burglary by "hardening the target." Precautions include locks on gates leading into the backyard because burglars are less likely to climb a fence. Good lighting and alarm systems often are recommended. Residents are encouraged to get to know their neighbors so they can recognize people who wouldn't normally be on their street.
Sherrie Waugh, sheriff's community services specialist for the Northeast patrol area, will lead a presentation and discussion about residential burglary during two community meetings coming up in a few weeks. The first session will be at 6 p.m. March 31 in the Orangevale Community Center, 6826 Hazel Avenue, a few blocks south of Oak Avenue. The second will be at 6 p.m. April 2 in McMillan Center, Fair Oaks Park, off Fair Oaks Boulevard, just south of Madison Avenue.
Rooftop burglaries probed
Two restaurants were burglarized late Friday or early Saturday by someone who came in through the roof, according to Citrus Heights police reports.
Officers were called to Alonzo's Pizza, 7054 Sunrise Blvd., about 9:50 a.m. when the break-in was discovered.
The second call came in about 11 a.m. Saturday from the Star of Siam, 6029 Greenback Lane. Officers determined that the burglar probably came in through an air vent on the roof.
Juvenile arrested in fight
A male juvenile was almost hit by a car about 6:45 p.m. March 5 as he darted across Greenback Lane near Mariposa Avenue, according to Citrus Heights police reports.
When the driver honked his horn, the boy ran to the passenger side of the car and punched a woman sitting in the passenger seat, the report said.
Call The Bee's David Richie, (916) 608-7455
