Crime & Safety
Violent Crime Down, But Fraud, Vehicle Accidents on Rise
Rohnert Park crime numbers mimic national trends. Want to get more micro-level info on the city's crime? Check out our weekly police blotter, published every Monday
Violent crime was down in Rohnert Park last year—a trend mirrored across the country—but things like embezzlement, fraud, forgery and counterfeiting have all increased, according to recently released statistics by the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety.
Forgery incidents jumped by 29 percent (from 100 to 129) and embezzlement by 50 percent, although there were only 12 total reported cases. Fraud increased by 6 percent, totaling 147 reported incidents.
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See Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety's full report
“As computer technology improves and more websites are popping up on how to wash checks and other fraud crimes, the trend starts to grow,” said Lt. Jeff Taylor, a police spokesman.
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To avoid becoming a victim of fraud, police recommend dropping off all mail at the post office, shredding important documents and inquiring at the post office about any missed mail.
“If you don’t get mail one day, and that’s atypical for you, be proactive and check at the post office,” Taylor said.
Traffic collisions also increased by 9 percent, from 323 to 352 last year. Police could not immediately comment on whether distracted driving or something else was behind the spike.
But there’s good news too.
All violent crime was down, including a decrease in reported rapes (down by 30 percent), aggravated assaults (down by 25 percent) and burglary (down by 24 percent).
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