Coto de Caza Horse Thievery

Coto de Caza Horse Thievery

We have received reports that a Pony has been stolen from the Coto Equestrian Center. A CotoBuzz reader asks “How the heck does someone just steal a horse and get it out of Coto? I suppose the horse thief could have just ridden the horse out on our trails. So much for our Security. A drive by shooting, Coto Desperate Housewives, the fellow recently arrested for the Ponzi scheme (refer to USC Professor Accused Of Running Ponzi Scheme Mar 24, 2006 2:34 pm US/Pacific) , hit and run on our streets and now a horse thief. Gosh, I think I will start telling people that I live in Mission Viejo or Irvine. Their press is a lot better.”
The Sheriff’s office does not show any records of the stolen Pony, there are no press release to that effect, and we have not been able to get in touch with the Equestrian Center.
However, we do know: The Sheriff recently (03/17/06) issued a DUI Roving Patrol Event: The Orange County Sheriff’s Department conducted DUI roving patrols in the Cities of Lake Forest, Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita on Friday, March 17, 2006. “The Tri-City DUI teams will target areas that have a high incidence of DUI related arrests and collisions”, reads the Sheriff’s press release, adding “ The goal of the program is to reduce the rate at which the citizens of Orange County are killed or injured in DUI related collisions. Through implementation of these events, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department hopes to significantly reduce deaths, injuries and property damage in each of our contract cities.

It should be noted that the Sheriff instituted a Crime Prevention program in 1981. In 1993 the Orange County Sheriff's Department began providing police services in San Clemente. The department soon recognized the value of these Community and Crime Prevention Programs and began replicating them in many of their other contract cities. According to the Sheriff’s website, today there are 1243 watch groups in communities served by the Orange County Sheriff's Department, each consisting of at least 20 homes, although, several of these groups are "associations" and serve as many as 250 homes.

The sheriff’s website posting on crime prevention reads “Crime Prevention represents "pro-active" vs. "re-active" concepts and instructs citizens as to their role in this process. An introduction to the local law-enforcement department provides a valuable link between the deputies and citizens. This connection dismisses the intimidation that may be present between law-enforcement and the general public, and strengthens the quality of life for all communities”

With all this activity around Coto, why is it that the Coto de Caza board of directors has failed to adopt a pro-active traffic and crime prevention programs? Why is that they fired the public safety committee? Why is it that the board wants to hire the public safety consultant that brought you the transponder fiasco?

Maybe this is why the crime rate within Coto de Caza higher than any neighboring gated or un-gated communities?