Sheriff’s Office Handles Patrol of Federal Campground
October 16, 1975
THE SHERIFF’S CAMPGROUND patrol vehicle, pictured above, is used to patrol federal campgrounds in Lassen County. The patrols, instituted this summer for the first time, were made necessary by increased incidents of crime in the camping areas. The department receives some $14,700 to conduct the patrol from the federal government. Pictured, from left, are Deputy Galan Todd, Lt. Lino Callegari and Deputy Bruce Stelzer. (Sheriff’s Department photo).
Sheriff’s Patrol Cuts Campgrounds Vandalism
During the past summer season, the Lassen County Sheriff’s Department entered into an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service on the Lassen and Modoc Forests to provide police patrol in Lassen county federal recreation areas.
As a result of this program, Undersheriff Del Gorbet reports, incidents of vandalism, theft and unruly conduct in these recreation areas were reduced from an everyday occurrence to practically nil.
Another blessing of the program, at least in the eyes of beleaguered property taxpayers, is that they are being financed by the federal government at no direct cost to the Lassen county property taxpayer.
The program, which ran from July 1 to Sept. 26, included daily sheriff’s patrols of camping and recreation facilities at Eagle Lake, Bogard Recreation area, Butte Creek, Bidwell Springs and Silver Lake on the Lassen National Forest.
The Forest Service will pay the county $11,700 for conducting the patrols.
On the Modoc National Forest, which extends into northern Lassen county, the county will be paid $3,000 for patrolling the Blue Lake, Ash Creek and Willow Creek recreation areas.
Patrol of the Blue Lake area concluded Sept. 1.
Results of the program, according to all sources concerned, have been positive.
According to Gorbet, “two weeks prior to instituting the patrol, we had a man out (at the recreation areas) every day investigating incidents.
“Now the incidents of camp burglaries and vandalism have dropped to practically nothing,” Gorbet added.
Gorbet’s optimism was echoed by Fred Alberico of the U.S. Forest Service, who was instrumental in setting up the local program.
“There has been very little incidents of vandalism since the program started,” Alberico commented.
“People have commented that the patrols give them a sense of security,” Alberico added.
Preventive Program
Both Gorbet and Alberico cited the preventive nature of the patrol as being instrumental in the reduction of campground crime.
“I think when people see a patrol car it tends to straighten them out,” Alberico remarked. “It stops problems before they get started.”
