The holiday season can mean both joy and temptation, but in 2010, Hermiston weathered the potentially criminal season reasonably well.

Lt. Jason Edmiston said the Hermiston Police Department responded to more overall calls from Dec. 23 to Dec. 29 than previous years, most of which involved alcohol. The number of thefts was similar to previous years, however, and Dec. 29 also capped the departments investigation into a series of day-time burglaries.

At 1 p.m., police arrested David R. Foster, 41, of 1375 N.E. Sandy Lane, on suspicion of burglary and theft. According to police, an alert citizen witnessed Foster acting suspiciously in the 800 block of W. Highland Avenue. The citizen wrote down the license plate and the description of the vehicle Foster was picked up in, and officers later located the vehicle in the parking lot of Juniper Apartments.

Foster was located in an apartment, 999 W. Juniper Ave. No. 7, with items stolen from residences on Highland Avenue and Juniper Avenue. He was charged with two counts of first-degree burglary and two counts of first-degree theft.

Jose D. Garza, 32, of 370 S. Main St. No. 207, Pendleton, was also arrested at the apartment on a parole violation warrant. Both men were lodged at the Umatilla County Jail.

Especially during the holidays, criminals are looking for crimes of opportunity that usually involve a quick reward with low risk, Edmiston said in a department press release. Neighbors being observant and willing to contact our department increases the risk often without the criminal knowing it.

Statewide, law enforcement agencies reported three people died in three separate motor vehicle crashes during the 78-hour Christmas period, half the number of fatalities reported in 2009. Although neither resulted in fatalities, officers also responded to a 12-vehicle crash on Interstate 5 in Marion County and an eight-vehicle crash on Highway 35.