CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A recent series of burglaries and vandalism at the Clearlake People Services facility has cost the nonprofit hundreds of dollars in lost equipment and repairs.
The People Services location at 14560 Lakeshore Drive – also known as Konocti Instructional Services – works with adults with developmental disabilities, said Director Martin Diesman.
“Our essential purpose here is helping them be successful in doing all of the things that the rest of us take for granted,” which includes everything from learning to button shirts and tie shoes to vocational training, Diesman explained.
People Services seeks to help its clients manage their lives as independently as they can, according to Diesman.
That includes giving them paying jobs – from working on vending and landscape crews, to positions in the People Services thrift store at the Lakeshore Drive location, he said.
Diesman said People Service clients also do important volunteer work, including assisting with Meals on Wheels deliveries by accompanying drivers, “which is a really cool thing.”
Yet, despite its good works in the community, the nonprofit has found its facilities targeted repeatedly over the years.
Diesman estimated that in the last two years, property crimes such as burglary and vandalism have occurred 12 times at the Clearlake location.
“It's just been relentless here,” he said.
In one instance, a man stole the facility's security cameras. The facility's chain link fence also has been cut repeatedly, Diesman said.
“We’ve tried repairing the fence but they just cut it again,” he said. “We can’t keep up with it.”
The tally of crimes committed against People Services includes a new rash of incidents that Diesman said began amping up around three weeks and continued this week.
In the first incident, someone broke into the nonprofit's outdoor sheds and stole janitorial supplies like cleaning solution, paper towels and mop heads – “just stupid stuff,” said Diesman.
The second burglary involved someone breaking into the services boxes on the People Services landscaping truck. Diesman said about $600 worth of landscaping tools were stolen.
Items taken included vests, goggles, bungee cords, safety glasses, work gloves, garbage picker uppers, a set of loppers, four pairs of short pruners, a branch saw, weed pullers and other hand tools, like crescent wrenches and screw drivers, he said.
“We’re lucky that’s all they got,” Diesman said.
Then, sometime late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, someone vandalized a People Services van, slashing a rubber part on the wheelchair access side door in what Diesman said appeared to be an effort to get into the vehicle.
Diesman said the repeated thefts, and the need to replace the stolen items, has ended up costing the nonprofit a lot of money.
“It’s a pretty sad situation,” he said. “There’s nothing we can do about it.”
Diesman said the Clearlake Police Department has been out twice to take fingerprints from the sheds and truck that were broken into during this latest round of burglaries.
Clearlake Police Det. Nick Bennett confirmed to Lake County News that police are investigating the break-ins.
Police also are focusing on a possible suspect, Bennett said.
Bennett added, “We do have extra patrols in the area.”
Diesman said the situation has been frustrating for People Services, and both “really harmful” and sad.
“They’re stealing from the disabled. They’ve got so little,” he said.
A People Services staffer posted about the thefts on social media, which led to a $100 donation on Thursday morning, Diesman said.
Diesman said the nonprofit is grateful for any help the community is willing to offer.
To help People Services by donating cash or tools, or for more information contact Diesman at 707-994-1560.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
People Services hit by rash of thefts, vandalism
- Elizabeth Larson
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