The IRC recently awarded Mr. Patel with the Irvine Public Safety Award. It takes courage for local citizens to step up to the plate and call the local police when they see something suspicious in their neighborhood. That is what helped the Irvine Police Dept. recently when local Irvine resident Mr. Patel did when he called when three men in a Mercedes knocked on the door of his home. According to Detective Joe Kathia crime analysis and good old community involvement helped close a string of burglaries.
In the Yale corridor more than 90 burglaries had taken place within a few months. The crimes were put on Crime Stoppers TV, and one of the victims had written down a license plate that helped the Crime Division zero in on the suspects. It was Mr. Patel's phone call that confirmed all of the details to arrest three of the four suspects. The fourth suspect was eventually picked up in Seattle and returned to Irvine to serve serious time in jail.
Mr Patel says he did not think much about the call he made, he felt it was his civic duty. He has a strong sense of community spirit, and he wants to keep his community safe.
According to Detective Susan Davis, the largest issue is thefts from unlocked vehicles. Car hopping thieves check door handles and are more often than not able to open the car door and remove anything visible in your car.
Citizens, beware, stay safe and if you see any unusal activity in your neighborhood call 911!
