Lafayette Burglars Well Armed, Well Cranked, Well Connected

, front door kick-ins, burglars so speedy and so knowledgable of their victim's activities they're in and out of a targeted house in minutes -- with jewelry, guns, prized heirlooms and possessions.

Who are these people?

Lafayette Police Chief Mike Hubbard has an officer who got "up close and personal" with two of these folks last week and, while she may not have been surprised to find how they operate -- Patchers may be.

In his report to Lafayette City Manager Steve Falk, Hubbard recounts the story of Officer Parrilla, who was on patrol on Happy Valley Road last week when she encountered a suspicious car parked there and approached, asking the driver if he was delivering newspapers. The driver said yes, even though there were no newspapers in the car. The driver then said he was out walking his dog -- only, yes, there was no dog. Then, according to Hubbard, he tried the old "visiting a friend in Orinda and got lost on my way back to Antioch"-story, which didn't exactly work either.

A records check determined the driver was on federal parole for conspiracy. He was detained. While Parrilla was putting him in her patrol car a second man approached and walked past her. She asked to speak with him and he said he was just out for a walk. Asked if he was carrying anything illegal he said he wasn't and allowed the officer to check -- she found a flashlight and a two-way radio. The radio, Hubbard said, was linked by channel to one on the front seat.

Parrilla detained the second man and searched their car, allegedly finding methamphetamine and, in the trunk, a trash bag half full of mail from various homes in Lafayette and other areas. Oh, yes, there was also a billy club between the front seats of the car. The second man claimed the drugs while the driver denied knowledge of the drugs, the club, and the pilfered mail. Parrilla reported that both men denied they were using the radios to communicate with each other -- though both were on and tuned to the same channel.

Both visitors were taken to jail and booked for conspiracy, possession of stolen property and possession of narcotics. The driver's federal probation status was instantly revoked.

Hubbard praised his officer. She praised the homeowner who called in to report a suspicious car.

And that, dear neighbors, is what we're up against.