Deputy reports drop in many offenses, spike in DUI enforcement and vehicle theft tactics

Deputy Eric Gruden, assigned to the Incline Village patrol team, briefed the CAB on local law-enforcement trends and recent incidents.

Gruden said department statistics show decreases in several offense categories since the last meeting, including assaults, burglaries, counterfeiting, loitering and vandalism. "We've seen a decrease in overall offenses," he said, but added the department has increased DUI enforcement as a priority and that the number of detected DUIs has risen in part because of that enforcement emphasis.

He described recent local incidents in which suspects fled traffic stops, one that led to the use of a TASER and arrest, and a pursuit where suspects rammed a patrol vehicle and later crashed; suspects in the latter case were identified via license-plate-reader technology and arrested in coordination with Truckee Police Department. Gruden said some DUI suspects were also in possession of controlled substances, including cocaine, marijuana, MDMA and psilocybin in separate contacts.

Gruden warned residents about a common vehicle-theft tactic in the region: thieves removing plates from stolen vehicles and placing them on other cars, sometimes stealing front plates and registration stickers to evade detection. He encouraged residents to check Ring or other surveillance if they receive motion alerts and to report suspicious activity.

On phishing and scams, Gruden said many scams use voice-over-internet (VoIP) numbers from foreign countries, and that residents should verify any purported debt by contacting the billing entity directly rather than sending payment methods requested by scammers (gift cards, Apple Pay, etc.). "No business, no government entity will ever contact you and ask you to send things through gift cards," he said.

Ending: The CAB thanked the deputy for the update; Gruden left the meeting after offering to provide more information if requested by staff.