My name is Carlos Valencia and I work for the Salt Lake City Police Department. I have been a Police Officer with Salt Lake for over 9 years and I have been fortunate enough to experience some of the variety of assignments my Department offers.

My current position is being assigned as Detective with the Community Intelligence Unit (CIU) in District 1 and 2. This assignment has been very fulfilling because not only do I get to interact with the people of the Rose Park/Fairpark/Glendale community, but it helps me understand their problems and concerns that they face each day in their community.

One of the main problems we face each and every day is property crimes.. Sometimes being a victim of a property crime can be very costly and stressful. But for the bad guy, it can be rewarding and a way to a new life (of crime). We can do numerous things to protect ourselves so that we are not victims.

One of the many ways we can avoid being a vehicle burglary victim is to take our valuables with us, do not leave them in the vehicle while you go to the store or mall. A valuable item can be anything that a bad guy can sell or exchange for other goods that they would care about. Avoid leaving purses, wallets, GPS devices, blankets, bags of any kind, phones, phone chargers, tablets, iPads, CDs, expensive CD decks…etc. Avoid placing valuables under  the seats or anywhere in the vehicle where you think the valuable might be safe. Last but not least, always lock your vehicle. It definitely deters a bad guy from making himself or herself at home in it or steal it.

Home burglaries can occur to anyone, but if we take the necessary steps to protect ourselves we could minimize the chances of having someone break into our homes. Some people have looked into getting alarm systems, or getting
motion-enabled light systems, cameras, surveillance cameras, etc. Other people choose to ensure to lock their doors and windows, or making sure the garage door is shut when they leave. In addition to this, most people ask their neighbor to watch over their place and give them their phone number in case of an emergency or suspicious activity.

Remember, by taking the necessary steps to protect ourselves, we can be more difficult targets for vehicle and home
burglaries.
Thanks, Det. Valencia