SELMA, Calif. (KMPH) -
People in Selma say they're seeing a lot of crime in their small town - especially break-ins and thefts.
According to a crime rate website, people in Selma are twice as likely to become victims of break-ins and thefts than anywhere in the state.
Selma's police chief blames early releases from jail and a handful of repeat burglars.
Dockery Recycling has been hit by burglars at least twice this year.
The business' night vision camera caught a man breaking in; turns out he'd just gotten out of jail less than 24 hours earlier.
The images helped police put him behind bars, but, "They put him back in jail, and next thing you know they do it again. Because it's really just a slap on the wrist right now," said Jeremiah Carpenter, general manager of Dockery Recycling.
Not just businesses, an 8-year-old was ripped off by thieves who stole bake sale money she raised.
Cops dusted for prints at her home.
A common occurrence in a city with the highest crime rate in Fresno County.
"I know the biggest part driving our ratio is property crimes," said Chief Myron Dyck of the Selma Police Department.
According to the website neighborhoodscout.com, the property crime rate is nearly 60 cases per 1,000 residents.
That means people in Selma have about a 1 in 17 chance of becoming a victim.
That's more than twice the odds anywhere else in the state.
"Often times they are back on the streets of Selma before the officer can complete the report for that incident," said Chief Dyck.
The police chief has identified 5 men who he says are responsible for a majority of property crimes in the city.
"It's frustrating to feel like you're fighting an uphill battle. It's hard to continue to deal with the same few people on a continual basis, and there doesn't seem to be any consequences for them," said Chief Dyck.
The chief hopes people will be on the lookout for the city's most dangerous thieves, meanwhile many businesses plan to keep their surveillance cameras rolling.
"We will see them, we will catch them. It's just a matter of whether they're going to stay in jail or not," said Carpenter.
Chief Dyck says he has seen a slight dip in home break-ins and car thefts recently.
He says his officers have been keeping a close eye on repeat thieves, and have set up neighborhood watches to reign in crime in the city.
