New rewards program aims to catch residential burglars in San Mateo County’s District 3

“We’ve had a number of residential burglaries in the past six months in District 3,” Mueller said. “I’ve just heard this from my residents: ‘We need more, we need help.’ So this program is something that you could add to the tool chest.” 

The first-of-its kind program aims to dissuade criminal activity and incentivize community members to participate in investigations. 

“Would-be criminals will now know, should they choose to invade the sanctity of a person’s home here in San Mateo County, every person with knowledge about their crime — directly or indirectly — will have a strong financial incentive to share that information with the authorities to bring them to justice,” Mueller said. 

The program’s funding of $125,000 will come from discretionary District 3 Measure K funds, to be voted upon at the June 11 Board of Supervisors meeting. 

When a burglary occurs in participating cities, police chiefs will bring the crime to an executive committee — including San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus and the County Executive’s Office — who will decide on a reward for information. 

If that information helps result in arrest and conviction, the executive committee will then designate the reward, Mueller said. 

Leveraging community intelligence can often be key to solving burglary crimes, Corpus said during a press conference Monday. 

“We believe in thinking outside of the box to tackle these crimes effectively,” she said. Information from witnesses and nearby residents is crucial to our investigation and identifying those responsible. Our community members and stakeholders are our eyes and ears.” 

The new pilot program isn’t the only way San Mateo County communities are taking action against burglaries, which Mueller said had been discussed at neighborhood meetings in Woodside and Menlo Park. 

In late May, Atherton began piloting burglary bait houses, where police work with residents to put GPS trackers in commonly stolen household items. Around 50 households volunteered to be a part of the pilot program. 

Other recently-deployed tactics to catch burglars include increasing automated license plate readers, increasing police patrols and bolstering neighborhood watch programs, Mueller said. 

“When a criminal commits a residential burglary, they violate a resident’s sense of security and safety, shattering the feeling of safety that a home is meant to provide,” he said. “The intrusion leaves emotional scars, making individuals feel vulnerable and unsettled. Finally, every time a residential burglary occurs, there is inherent risk of dangerous physical interaction between the criminal and the resident.”