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Sheriff details catalytic-converter engraving events and regional enforcement that led to 57 arrests
Summary
Captain Ken Lutz told the City Council Adelanto27s sheriff27s team has engraved 169 catalytic converters through a JAG grant, will hold a free event on June 29 at Richardson Park, and led a regional enforcement operation that yielded 57 arrests (38 adults, 19 juveniles) and 21 towed vehicles targeting car takeovers and related crimes.
Captain Ken Lutz of the San Bernardino County Sheriff27s Department briefed the council on recent enforcement work and community crime-prevention programs.
"We've had 169 converters already marked," Lutz said of a JAG-funded catalytic-converter engraving program designed to deter thefts and help prosecutors trace recovered parts. He said the next free event will be on June 29 at Richardson Park from 8 a.m. to noon; residents must bring vehicle registration showing a vehicle is registered in the City of Adelanto.
Lutz also described a multi-jurisdictional operation to prevent car-takeover events. "We ended up making 57 arrests, 38 of them being adults, 19 being juveniles. We towed 21 vehicles. We had 1 stolen vehicle, and we recovered 1 dog," he said, providing a summary of results and saying the operation cost the city nothing because it used regional funds.
Councilmembers asked how staffing under the county contract works and whether dispatch calls generate additional resources for the city. Lutz explained Adelanto27s contract provides a three-beat system (three deputies assigned across beats), partial funding for a watch commander and a lieutenant, and the ability to request specialized teams (gang unit, SWAT, motor units) as needed. He urged residents to call dispatch at (760) 956-5001 for non-emergency reports and 911 for life-threatening calls, saying citizen reports generate the data the county uses to justify additional deputies.
Why it matters: The engraving events and regional enforcement aim to deter repeat property crimes and make prosecutions easier if parts are recovered. The arrests and towed vehicles reflect a targeted, short-term suppression effort; the sheriff described the operation as regional and coordinated with neighboring cities.
What happens next: Lutz said his office will advertise upcoming engraving events (the council asked staff to post notices on city boards), continue targeted enforcement where data indicates problems, and return with grant-funded project updates as details develop.
