Life in Manteca: 27: Crime

Last week the family went to see the new "Twilight" movie while I was at work.  After, I heard the story a couple of times of how some of the cars of friends were burglarized during the movie.  One car they had attempted to cut the lock from the door.  They did not succeed in getting into the car, but did succeed in causing extensive damage.  The other car they apparently got into the trunk.  They stole a Canon camera reported to be worth $1000.  It happened to be the vehicle of a police officer and they stole his bullet proof vest.

Shortly after we moved in, someone tried to break into our house while we were gone.  Fortunately we had an alarm installed and it scared them away.  However, in the same week, our neighbor's home was burglarized and jewelry stolen and sentimental items.  

In Manteca there have been a couple incidents which have been in the news.  Some people were pulling up a private train track, with the intent of reselling the metal.  There was an officer shooting of someone for whom they had a warrant.  I drove past this incident, wondering what was going on, and later saw it in the paper.  Then there was someone running away from the police, ran onto the freeway, stopped a car and high jacked it.  This process caused a motorcyclist to crash, trying to avoid the freeway traffic, killing him.

I am left with the question of whether crime is more or less in Cupertino than here.  Once, many years ago, while Sheri was at the doctor's in San Jose, our car was broken into, leaving us without a stereo and a broken window.  Another time our home, in San Jose, was burglarized. As many may know there was a multiple homicide in Cupertino since we moved.  This was at the cement quarry.  When we were over for an event, we drove up the street where the gunman was confronted by police, and killed himself.  This wasn't very far from our old house, although the quarry was the other side of town. 

Are we less secure than we were a few years ago?  Is crime more rampant?  Maybe it is a sign of the times, but I don't have to like it.  We are doing everything we can to be safe.