By City hall changes telephone numbers

In order to improve customer service, Los Altos City Hall has installed an updated telephone system with new numbers.

For general information, call 947-2700; code enforcement, 947-2775; police, non-emergency, 947-2770; planning department, 947-2750; and recreation hot line, 947-2792.

Santa Clara County

Auto task force arrests 41 for fraud

Los Altos

After a six-month sting operation, the Santa Clara County Law Enforcement Regional Auto Theft Task Force last month arrested 41 body shop operators along the peninsula suspected of auto insurance fraud.

Two of the shops were in Mountain View. Police say they expect to make more arrests.

Lead investigator Todd Brown, a patrol officer with the California Highway Patrol, said auto insurance fraud has become commonplace.

“Many body shop operators coached the undercover officers on how to maximize the amount of money that they could get from the insurance companies,” he said.

The Bureau of Automotive Repair investigators plan to revoke the licenses of the approximately 25 auto shops involved in insurance fraud, according to police.

“The Fast and the Fraudulent” sting targeted shops throughout Santa Clara County.

The Regional Auto Theft Task Force is a DMV-funded task force currently including investigators from San Jose, Mountain View, Gilroy, Los Gatos, the Sheriff’s Department, the Highway Patrol and the district attorney’s office.

- Town Crier Staff Report