Commander Nelson is a 21 year veteran of the SLO County Sheriff’s Department and is currently assigned to
the Sheriff’s Coast Station which covers from Ragged Point to Avila Beach. However, today is his last day in
that position and he will be moving to the Professional Standards Department which is similar to Internal
Affairs.
Commander Nelson told us that, in August, Sheriff’s dispatch received 520 calls from the Cambria and San
Simeon area. These calls can range from a report of a car accident, which is responded to by CHP or need for
medical assistance. During August there were 29 calls for disturbances, 4 burglaries and 7 theft calls. One of
the theft calls was for a pair of shoes stolen off a front porch. The shoes were recovered and the outlaw
apprehended! Interesting fact: burglary is committed when something is stolen from a locked car, business
or residence while it is considered theft if the car, business or residence is locked.
Cmdr. Nelson cautioned us to be careful of scams. Never give your credit card or personal information to
anyone over the phone. No government agency will ever request this over a phone call. And, never comply
with a request for gift cards to settle a debt or to purchase anything over the phone. He also said to be
careful when using a credit card machine to purchase gas or to take money out. Crooks are installing
“skimmers” in ATM machines so they can steal your credit card information and your password. Always grab
the credit card holder and shake it a bit. If it is a skimmer, you will know it if it moves.