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 A big part of a healthy community is a lack of crime. How does Falcon line up?
Criminal activity in Falcon runs the gamut, and crime in general can be categorized in many different ways. Sexual assaults, for example, include a wide range of criminal activity; from inappropriate touching to rape, said Sgt. Joe Roybal from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
Many crimes start as one crime and end up encompassing another crime. Roybal cited a house break-in: “Burglary is when you enter a dwelling to commit another crime. For example, you break into a house (burglary), and then you commit theft,” he said. The terminology is important because it helps describe the crime in greater detail, Roybal added. Take theft and robbery: “Theft is when a person steals an item and the owners are not present,” he said. “Robbery is person to person.”
Domestic violence is not a category itself; it falls under assault. Roybal said situations determine the nature and number of crimes committed. “Say the husband gets mad and smashes some object, then that would fall under criminal mischief,” he said. Criminal mischief is often a lesser crime.
Sometimes, one particular area experiences a rash of the same type of crime over a certain period of time.
During the month of November, Woodmen Hills’ residents witnessed an increase in automobile break-ins. “During the late night hours of Nov. 11, 2012, and early morning hours of Nov. 12 2012, several residences in the Woodmen Hills residential area were victims of first degree criminal trespass and criminal mischief cases,” Roybal said. “The El Paso County Sheriff's Office received seven reports of incidents where vehicle windows were broken and the interior of the vehicles accessed. Many items were stolen from the vehicles such as a firearm, electronics and purses containing valuables and cash.” He said homeowners should secure their vehicles and should not keep valuables like wallets – or financial documents – in cars parked outside.
“Most crimes are crimes of opportunity,” Roybal said. Residents can deter criminals by installing motion lights and keeping the property well lit, he said. Security systems help as well. Locking doors and windows is one simple and easy measure to prevent crime. “They (criminals) don’t want to have to work hard to get in,” Roybal said. “They want in and out fast.”
The below statistics reflect crime data for Falcon from 2010-2011; 2012 is not yet available from the sheriff’s office.
| | 2010 | 2011 | | Assault | 38 | 50 | | Burglary | 38 | 50 | | Nonresidential burglary | 18 | 7 | | Residential burglary | 49 | 37 | | Criminal mischief | 102 | 79 | | Criminal trespass auto | 29 | 40 | | DUI | 32 | 31 | | Robbery | 0 | 1 | | Sexual assault | 19 | 24 | | Stolen vehicle | 9 | 7 | | Theft | 83 | 72 |
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