Sidelines

“Self” revisited

Debra Sherman’s recent tale of being victimized by someone who assumed her identity to go on a spending spree and run up thousands of dollars in debt ("My Stolen Self,” SN&R, Sept. 28, 2000) touched many readers.

There was the woman who called the SN&R, saying she had been through a similar ordeal and believed the same perpetrator might be responsible. There were the editors of a national wire service that picked up the story. And, perhaps most important, there was Tricia Hacker.

As the chief investigator in the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, Hacker believes more could have been done to help Sherman and prosecute the perpetrator, so she has re-opened the case and launched her own investigation.

Hacker said the District Attorney’s office has recently expanded its ability to crack down on identity theft crimes and has more personnel devoted to the issue. And after reading the story, she knew her office could do more.

Also helping individuals safeguard their personal information and prevent more identity theft crimes will be the Office of Privacy Protection, a new agency created this year by Sen. Steve Peace’s Senate Bill 129, which was signed by Gov. Gray Davis two weeks ago.

Operating under the Department of Consumer Affairs, the office is charged with developing policies to help consumers safeguard their personal information, shielding it from both petty criminals and large corporations.

Rising rents

For a long time, Sacramento has been shielded from the exorbitant increases in rental rates and home prices that have driven the working poor out of the Bay Area and other California hot spots. But no more.

A quick scan through the classified ads or a drive through town confirms for the casual observer what a recent study on the issue indicates: rental rates are going through the roof while the number of available apartments dwindles.

The Apartment Research Report by the Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Brokerage Company predicted that the average rent—which was $710 per month at mid-year—will increase by 7 percent in the coming year.

Meanwhile, the vacancy rate of less than 5 percent over the last year dipped to around 3 percent over the summer, creating stiff competition for the choice spots.

That tight market has pushed many renters toward buying homes. The Building Industry Association of Superior California reports there were 612 new home sales and 25,556 visits in September, both of which set records.