SPRINGVILLE, Utah — It was a busy summer for the Utah County Sheriff’s Office as it investigated eight burglaries in the relatively small area of Hobble Creek Canyon near Springville.
Nevertheless, the sheriff’s office said crime is common in the great outdoors.
“Times are hard, but it doesn't mean that you can destroy other people's happiness,” said Springville resident Jenna Vincent.
For years, Vincent and her family have taken their trailer up the canyon and left it unattended for a few days at a time.
“It's just a place that you can call home, that's always been safe, right?" she said. "Like, things happen, and we know that, but it's always been a trustworthy place to be, and now it's just not that anymore.”
The family had never had an incident involving their trailer until this summer..
“They had taken a lot of things out of our stove, our toilet. They had pulled apart the cupboards. They've taken lots of personal possessions," shared Vincent. "They smashed in the back of part of the paneling that's back there. And so they just vandalized it.”
While eight burglaries may not seem high, the sheriff's office is concerned.
“There are criminals, and I know this because I've talked to them, who they look for crimes of opportunity. And they'll go to areas where they know there are going to be cars parked with the owners or occupants not there,” explained Sgt. Spencer Cannon.
People are allowed to leave trailers on public land for up to two weeks.
“It's not against the law to do that, and it's perfectly reasonable, and people should be able to leave it there and have people leave it alone," Cannon added, "because that's the right thing to do. But there are people out there who essentially do this kind of thing for a living.”
Vincent refuses to leave her trailer in the canyon again and doesn’t know how she and her family will be able to spend time there.
“You have to take your trailer up there two days before the weekend, three days before the weekend to get a spot and trust that people will leave your stuff alone," she said. "You can have a spot you can go back to, kind of like a home.”
