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Sheriff captain reports drops in many crimes, urges residents to report suspicious activity
Summary
Orange County Sheriff Captain AJ Patel told the Rossmoor board that many categories of calls and property crimes were down in the first half of 2024 compared with 2023, but he urged residents to report suspicious activity and described new county data- and camera-integration tools that aid real-time responses.
Orange County Sheriff Captain AJ Patel told the Rossmoor Community Services District board that overall dispatch calls were down in the first half of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023 and that many property-crime categories, including catalytic-converter thefts and vehicle burglaries, had fallen.
Patel, who opened his presentation by noting he had shared a statistics sheet with the board, said total dispatch calls were down about 15% and described a significant drop in certain property crimes. He cautioned, however, that some reductions may reflect increased deputy presence and reporting patterns rather than permanent trends, and he singled out "suspicious-activity" calls as one metric he wants to see stay steady or increase because those reports give investigators early leads.
Patel described an investigation in which officers discovered a disguised Wi-Fi camera hidden across the street from a target residence; the evidence gathered interrupted a planned burglary, he said. He also outlined how the sheriffs new Real-Time Operations Center brings multiple agenciescamera feeds and license-plate-reader data together so analysts can push information to responding officers faster.
During questions, board members pressed Patel about license-plate readers and privacy. Patel said the automated readers help locate stolen vehicles and missing persons, that the information is shared among jurisdictions, and that the technology is another tool for investigators. He acknowledged residentsprivacy concerns but said the cameras used are publicly located and that the center is focused on improving response times and investigation quality.
Patel closed by urging residents to call the sheriffs dispatch first when they see suspicious behavior, saying timely reporting is key to stopping criminal activity.
The district did not take action on the report; directors thanked the captain and asked staff to share information about tours of the Real-Time Operations Center and about public-safety outreach.
