Salinas PD sees increase in violent crimes
SALINAS, Calif. (KION) The Salinas Police Department said they’ve noticed an increase in violent crimes and crime in general lately.
Just in the past 10 days or so, there have been two homicides in Salinas. The most recent one happened on Monday night when police say two victims were hurt in a shooting on La Mancha Way. One of the victims was pronounced dead at the scene.
About two weeks ago, a 28-year-old man was killed in a shooting near East Laurel Drive.
“We have had other shootings within this time frame that resulted in people being hurt and they are still open cases. We still are looking into them,” Salinas PD Public Information Officer Miguel Cabrera said.
But the source of this trend is hard to identify.
“Some of the incidents that we have investigated are kind of related to gang
activity but I can’t pinpoint one specific reason as a result of all these
incidents,” Cabrera said.
In fact, Salinas PD told KION they’ve seen a rise in crime in general.
There was a 5-hour SWAT standoff in Salinas last week that ended in one man's arrest.
Proof that despite a shelter in place order, crime doesn’t stop.
Cabrera says even though the activity has increased, cooperation from the community has also been noticed. Information provided by community members has helped them solve cases, and led to an arrest in the homicide near East Laurel.
Salinas PD has also noticed an increase in traffic-related incidents, including accidents, traffic stops and heavier traffic on the roads, as well as more domestic violence calls.
“They could be just verbal disputes that require the response of an officer,
all the way to a response that requires an arrest due to the seriousness of
the aggression,” Cabrera said.
Crisis assistance groups, like YWCA Monterey County, have also received an increased volume of calls during the pandemic.
“Most of the clients that we are working with at this point, since the shelter in place became operational, are people who have been isolated with their abuser for an extended period of time and tensions are heightened,” YWCA CEO Christine Duncan said.
Duncan told KION that the pandemic has aggravated domestic violence situations by creating tensions for families having to be in the same space together more often, care for children 24/7 and having to make up for loss of income.
The YWCA encourages people in potentially unsafe situations to contact them for assistance or reach out to a close friend or neighbor.
There is a hotline for those experiencing domestic violence and need help. You can call 831-757-1001.
