Full Notification

As with every year, the Holiday season brings with it crimes of opportunity that are committed against residents of our Town.  Many of these crimes are easily preventable through some simple steps:

Mail Theft – Last week, officers arrested 3 individuals at 3:30 a.m. for mail theft.  They had stolen mail from near 40 different residents during the early morning hours...and this was not the first time these individuals had been hunting for victims in Moraga.  Many of these thefts can be prevented by clearing out your mailbox on a daily basis.  Use a locking mailbox that allows your postal carrier to put mail in the box and requires it to be unlocked to remove the mail.

Porch Pirates – Reports of packages being stolen from porches are on the rise.  Thieves drive through neighborhoods looking for packages on the porch – then steal them.  Bring packages inside as soon as they are delivered.  Use delivery company apps to track packages and see when they are delivered.  If you won’t be home, have them delivered to an alternate site, such as an office address or Amazon Hub location.  Report suspicious persons who are driving around your neighborhood, stopping and walking up to front porches.

Scams – tis the season to tug on our heart-strings or scare us to convince us to send money.  If you get a call telling you that you have a warrant, someone has compromised your social security number, PG&E is going to disconnect you as you owe money or that you have won the Publishers Clearinghouse prize, simply hang up.  This is a scam!  If you feel there might be some truth to the claim, then look up the organizations’ number or their website and contact the group directly, using a number that you look up.  If you want to donate money to a charity, research them and contact them directly.  Recently, our officers foiled a scam involving a victim who supposedly won the Publishers Clearinghouse drawing.  Our victim sent tens of thousands of dollars to pay fees and taxes on their “winnings.”  Fortunately, through quick work by the officer and some luck, we were able to recover the victim’s money – this is the exception as the victim normally cannot recover anything.

Catalytic Converters – theft of these car parts is on the rise.  This crime usually happens at night when the suspect gets under your vehicle with a sawz-all or similar tool and cuts the catalytic converter out, causing major damage to the vehicle.  The Toyota Prius is the vehicle targeted the most, but they’ve also been stolen from other vehicles.  Park your car in your driveway, if possible, or in a well-lit area.  Report suspicious activity in your neighborhood…especially the sound of power tools or vehicles stopped and idling near parked cars late at night.

All of these crimes can be prevented through simple steps and/or by alerting Moraga Police about suspicious activity.  To report suspicious activity or a crime that has occurred, please call Dispatch at 925-284-5010.  For emergencies, call 9-1-1.

If you weren't aware, COVID-19 numbers are increasing in Moraga!  During this holiday season, please do your part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a mask, washing your hands, covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing and by following the County Health Officer’s Health Order.  More information can be found on the County Health Department website at www.coronavirus.cchealth.org.

If you have questions or concerns about any of these issues, please call the Moraga Police at 925-888-7055, ext. 0.  Best wishes to everyone for a safe and healthy holiday season!!