Linda residents voice fears

If a crime prevention forum in Linda were any indication, people are concerned about their cars getting stolen, and they fret that their houses will be broken into.

But the worry that tops them all are reckless drivers who speed through their neighborhoods.

About 50 residents showed up Wednesday night at the Feather River Center in Linda for the chance to talk to county leaders about the problems surrounding them.

"We want this community to be one of the safest communities in the state," said Dan Logue, the county supervisor who sponsored the wide-ranging, congenial discussion that included questions about everything from gang issues to making Linda an incorporated city.

The evening's panel discussion was aimed at addressing crime in Linda, particularly in and around the Edgewater subdivision east of Highway 70, where more than 1,000 homes are going up.

Crime activity has followed the influx of people: In 2004, the Yuba County Sheriff's Department reported 28 incidents in the Edgewater area. To date this year, the department already has reached the same number.

Undersheriff Steve Durfor said there is no one common crime in that area, but many of the calls are home and vehicle burglaries, child abuse and aggravated assaults, to name a few.

Several people afterward said they appreciated the chance to express their concerns with local officials and hoped that more work could be done to address their neighborhood's problems.

Robert McEwen, who has lived in Edgewater for about nine months, is concerned mostly with theft and speeding in his neighborhood. He said that when he first moved into his house at Rupert Avenue, he had items stolen from his front yard. Someone also broke into his garage in the middle of the day.

And day in and day out, he sees people barrel through the narrow, single-lane section of Rupert Avenue at 50 to 60 mph, he said. He thinks the road should be closed off to through traffic, or speed bumps should be installed, because children who play outside their homes on the narrow stretch are in danger.

Wednesday's discussion, he said, was a nice way to get the ball rolling on figuring out solutions.

"I think it was very successful," he said.

Edgewater resident Chris Harris echoed those sentiments.

"I would say it's a very good first baby step," he said of the meeting. Harris, who lives near Rupert Avenue, also was vocal about the speeding problems in his neighborhood.

He said he was optimistic about the chance to discuss his concerns further with county leaders and that improvements might be made in the future.

"It gives us the opportunity to go somewhere," he said. "I find it very reassuring."

Appeal-Democrat reporter Daniel Thigpen can be reached at 749-4713. You may e-mail him at dthigpen@appeal-democrat.com.