Sheriff's sergeant says thefts nearly tripled in February; council weighs CSO shifts, coordination with Citadel security

Sergeant Cortez told the City of Commerce council on March 10 that thefts in February nearly tripled compared with January and that auto thefts and aggravated assaults also rose. He said the sheriff's area submitted 35 complaints to the district attorney in February (five felony, 30 misdemeanor) and that misdemeanor filings increased substantially year over year.

"It is almost, 3 times more thefts in the month of February," Sergeant Cortez said, and later described the February total for the Citadel shopping area as about 27 felony incidents for the month. He noted that juvenile arrests were down versus the prior year while overall arrests rose about 10% compared with February 2025.

Councilmembers asked what was driving the spike and where resources should be focused. Suggestions included assigning city Public Safety Officers to supplement deputies at the Citadel, budgeting for additional four‑hour deputy shifts during peak hours, and pursuing closer coordination with the Citadel's private security team. "Maybe I'm open to it," one councilmember said, proposing a meeting with the city manager and Citadel management to discuss shared responses and potential cost sharing.

Council members also asked staff to separate shopping‑district crime statistics from residential statistics so the city can target responses and evaluate whether surveillance, additional uniformed presence, or command‑and‑control monitoring would best reduce incidents.

Sergeant Cortez invited residents to a neighborhood watch meeting scheduled for March 25 and said recent business watch and neighborhood meetings are producing more engagement between deputies and local stakeholders.