Wendy Nevarez and her family arrived home this week to find their Christmas tree in a shambles and their gifts missing. With no renters' insurance and Christmas only a day away, the Fairpark woman said her children are devastated.
The Nevarez family is not the only one to face a holiday marred by crime.
- A half-hour later on Tuesday, a 23-year-old West Salt Lake man discovered his patio door was open and several wrapped Christmas gifts were missing from under his tree, a Salt Lake police report says.- Two hours later, two men drove away from a North Redwood Christmas tree lot with three trees they'd thrown over the fence and stolen, according to a separate police report.
Ironically, burglary and theft escalate during a season recognized for charity and good will. Law enforcement agencies recognize December as a free-for-all for thieves and warn residents not too make it easy for them.
But shoppers often leave their gifts unattended and in open sight in their cars. Thieves recognize that homes that are decorated for the holidays likely also house expensive gifts, food and cash. That was the case for Nevarez.
Between noon and 6 p.m., the thief broke into the home from a back door and took a cassette player, clothes, roller blades and a backpack, a Salt Lake police report says.
In addition to stealing the family's Christmas gifts, the burglar also took $200 in cash - money earmarked to finish off their Christmas shopping.
"They took just about everything we'd gotten for the kids," Nevarez said. "It's frustrating and hard on the kids. They were with us when we walked in . . . and saw everything torn up."
It is still too early to determine if such incidents are up from previous years, but holiday-related crime appears in line with police predictions, Salt Lake police Lt. Marty Vuyk said.
"We're pretty much staying within the number of calls we'd projected," Vuyk said. "It's stayed pretty consistent."
Typical "Christmas crimes" include car prowls, burglary and personal larceny, according to Vuyk and U.S. Department of Justice statistics. The number of holiday-related crimes reported this year will probably show an increase from 1992, simply because overall crime in Salt Lake City has steadily increased for several years, Vuyk said.
Many types of criminal activity are prone to seasonality, but most peak during summer months, according to the U.S. Department of Justice Statistics survey, "Highlights from 20 Years of Surveying Crime Victims."
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Crimes fluctuate with the seasons
Crime fluctuates with a change in weather and cultural factors such as shopping patterns and holidays.
For the most part, crime increases during summer months, a U.S. Department of Justice survey indicates. An exception to the rule is the holiday season: Robbery and personal larceny peak in December, the survey says.
Crimes that increase during summer: - Rape; - Unlawful entry; - Household larceny both more and less than $50.
Except in December, crimes least subject to season are: - Motor vehicle theft; - Robbery; - Forcible entry; - Simple assault; - Personal larceny without contact, of $50 or more.