Captain Stephen M. Carmona s Captain s Corner: I hope this June newsletter finds you in good health and enjoying the start of the summer months. As we come up to the middle of the year I want to share with you some of our area s important crime statistics. Again, our biggest challenge is getting the public to Lock It, Hide It, Keep It. It s imperative to remind ourselves everyday the importance of removing property from our vehicles, whether we re at home or just running a quick errand. Burglary from Motor Vehicle s (BFMV) and theft can be prevented by the simple notion of Lock It, Hide It, Keep It. Any items that look good to a thief and is left in plain view, is tempting. These two crimes account for over 65 percent of our property crimes. Year-to-date we have 1,461 BFMV s and thefts compared to 1,608 incidents during the same time period in 2013. Even though this number represents a decrease of 17 percent, that figure can show remarkable improvement, as each and every one of us is aware of where we leave our valuables. Our top days for BFMV s are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. As the weather warms up and we spend more and more time outdoors, so too do the criminals looking for the perfect opportunity. The locations where these thefts are occurring are on the streets, parking lots, garages and carports. The biggest increase of these crimes has occurred in the NoHo Arts District area. Overall, violent crimes have seen a decrease of 15.45 percent from last year. Any decrease is a sign that we re heading in the right direction. On Saturday, May 3, we held our Community Police Advisory Board (CPAB) Outreach at the Target Superstore. Not only was the event a huge success, but it also gave us the opportunity to a meet new contacts and form new relationships within our community. On Saturday, May 31, we had our Community Clean- Up Day along the Lankershim Boulevard/Sherman Way corridor. Thank you to everyone involved! Coming up this Saturday, June 21, we will be holding A Salute to Kids at Victory Plaza Park from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There will be rides and exhibits for all youngsters between the ages of 8 and 18 years old. Bring your families and come out for what is sure to be a fun-filled event! I m proud to announce the first LAPD Cadet Graduation of the year, which will take place on Saturday, June 28. This special event will be held at the USC Galen Center with Mayor Garcetti, Chief Charlie Beck and other important government dignitaries in attendance. I m very proud of our Post #661 and to all of our young adults on this wonderful occasion. C O N T E N T S Basic Car 15A39...2 Basic Car 15A27... 4 Basic Car 15A85...3 Basic Car 15A33... 5 Basic Car 15A3...3 Basic Car 15A43... 5 Basic Car 15A21...4 Basic Car 15A67... 5 N o r t h H o l l y w o o d N e w s l e t t e r P a g e 1
Safety Tip of the Month As we see the temperatures rise, as we head into the hotter months of summer, some people might be inclined to leave their doors and windows open at night or during the daytime hours. A burglar knows this and sees it as an opportunity to break into your home. As a reminder, please lock and secure your home at night for the safety of your family and property. Additionally, if you leave the house just to run an errand for a moment, secure your residence. It only takes a burglar a few minutes to enter your home and steal your property. If you d like to start a Neighborhood, Business or Apartment Watch program in your neighborhood, please contact the Senior Lead Office at (818) 755-7679. All of these various Watch programs are helpful in combating crime problems and forming these groups is a simple and safe measure that will impact your community in a positive way. Basic Car 15A39 Senior Lead Officer John Catalano Cell Phone (818) 634-0873 32740@lapd.lacity.org My department s basic car area continues to do well, but we are losing ground as a result of the large amount of property crimes that occur in North Hollywood Division. The property crimes include Burglary/Thefts from Motor Vehicles and Thefts. This is our challenge every month. Bike thefts continue to occur as well and I remain perplexed that very few people know the serial number of their bike. This is needed if and when your bike is reported stolen. On the chance that we do recover a bike or stop a suspect riding what is believed to be a stolen bike, this is the best way to ensure your property is returned and the perpetrator is arrested. Even locked up, bikes are being stolen with a small hand held bolt cutter. It s definitely worth putting some extra money into a high quality U lock. Overall, these locks remain the best way for keeping your bike where you parked it. Within the local Art's Area, we have seen a 36 percent crime reduction year-to-date. The Arts Area gets a lot of attention by both police officers in uniform and undercover. Police resources include our patrol officers, and now includes specialized units, such as our bike patrol officers, a Special Problems Unit and officers who come in from outside our North Hollywood Division to focus on problematic areas. These officers are assigned to the Valley Crimes Task Force (VCTF) and we have their presence in our area, as often as they are available. A few areas do have noticeable crime clusters. The area just north of the police station to Oxnard Avenue consists of single-family homes and is often an area where suspects come to prey on our residents. We had four car break-ins reported just west of Lankershim Boulevard in this one small area. In one incident, a resident was at the right place at the right time and prevented a crime from happening. This person, on the 5600 block of Beck Avenue, discovered a suspect walking down the street looking for an easy target. Another suspect driving a vehicle closely followed this suspect. When a vehicle is identified, suspects quickly break inside, remove property and leave the location. The entire incident takes place in less than a minute. That is why it s so difficult to see who is involved in these types of crimes. Not on this incident. The resident not only observed the suspect, but was able to get a description N o r t h H o l l y w o o d N e w s l e t t e r P a g e 2
of the vehicle. The two suspects believed to be around 25 years old, were attempting to break into a vehicle when they were interrupted. The suspects jumped into a dark grey or burgundy PT Cruiser with NO PLATES. This is great information. Not only for officers patrolling the area, but also for the area residents to keep an eye out if they return to the neighborhood. Basic Car 15A85 Senior Lead Officer Michael Lewis Cell Phone (818) 634-2593 31575@lapd.lacity.org There has been a sharp increase in cars being broken into around the area of Ventura and Vineland. We have seen multiple cars broken into on Fruitland, Bluffside, Acama and Aqua Vista Street. The good news is that we have arrested about a half dozen people in the past ten days or so and our division s crime numbers have significantly decreased in this area. Often, I call victim s and ask them to see if their stolen credit cards had been used and if so, I contact the store in an attempt to get video of the suspect. I did this earlier today and upon looking at my reports I m amazed at what people leave inside their cars. Here is an example from the reports that are on my desk right now: Chevy Pick-up broken into on Gentry: (2) laptop computers taken: $3,400 value Chevy SUV on Morella: (1) laptop computer, passport and jewelry: $12,900 value Nissan broken into on Laurel Terrace: Purse and cell phone taken. $600 value Mercedes on St. Clair: money, camera, golf clubs. $2,000 value BMW on Whitsett Ave: Computer and briefcase, $1,400 value. Toyota Prius on Carpenter: Laptop, Camera and lots of clothing items. $5,010 value. The six cars above represent a retail loss of $25,310. Last month (April ) 52 cars were broken into in Studio City. That s a lot of money stolen each month from your cars and trucks and this could have been prevented. What a payday for the suspects and easy pickings for a thief. I m hesitant to suggest this, but next time you are walking down the street, take a quick look into some parked cars and you ll be amazed how many have expensive property inside their vehicles and in plain sight. Community Events: Studio City Residents Association Meeting Beverly Garland Hotel 4222 Vineland Avenue Tuesday, July 8, 7:30 p.m. Basic Car 15A3 Senior Lead Officer Gabriel Ahedo Cell Phone (818) 634-0949 33107@lapd.lacity.org During this deployment period there was an increase in aggravated assaults. None of the assaults were related and there were no trends or patterns. There was a decrease in burglary from motor vehicles, residential burglaries, grand theft auto and robberies. Summer time is upon us, please remember to Lock it, Hide it, Keep it. Never leave anything visible in your vehicle. N o r t h H o l l y w o o d N e w s l e t t e r P a g e 3
On Saturday, June 21,, North Hollywood Division will be hosting a Kids Day at Valley Plaza Park located at 12240 Archwood Street. The event will be from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There will many different organizations at the event and there will also be food, fun-filled events, and activities for the entire family. We hope to see you all there. Basic Car 15A21 Senior Lead Officer Carol Sawamura Cell Phone (818) 634-0852 31322@lapd.lacity.org Year-to-date, A21 Area Part I Crime numbers are even with Year-to-date 2013. The greatest reduction overall is residential burglary; however, the gradual rise in Burglary Theft From Vehicle (BTFV) occurrences continues to be the biggest concern. Proactive strategies to combat BTFV include monitoring repeat offenders for their probation status and release from custody into the area. Additionally, significant arrests continue to be made by North Hollywood patrol and Special Problems Unit personnel. On Friday, May 23,, two outstanding patrol officers responded to a radio call of a BTFV in Progress and arrested a documented gang member living in the A21 area. That same individual had recently been observed with another suspect tampering with vehicles near Madison Middle School approximately three weeks prior. North Hollywood Area personnel are also recognizing the correlation between narcotics users and property crimes, which has resulted in targeting known narcotic offenders in the Area. A recent gang graffiti surge in the southwest portion of the Area has been documented and Gang Enforcement Detail officers are closely monitoring any significant trends for preventive gang-related incidents. Community Events North Hollywood West Neighborhood Council Saticoy Elementary School - Auditorium 7850 Ethel Avenue Wednesday, June 25, 6:30 p.m. Basic Car 15A27 Senior Lead Officer Fortunato Mariscal Cell Phone (818) 634-0941 27227@lapd.lacity.org Based on the statistics for the last extraction period, my area continues to see a decrease in crime. With the summer months upon us, our numbers have decreased, although we had a few burglaries from motor vehicles in the area of Lankershim Boulevard and Victory Boulevard. Let s continue to be vigilant and look out for our neighbors. Remember the slogan, LOCK IT, HIDE IT, KEEP IT! N o r t h H o l l y w o o d N e w s l e t t e r P a g e 4
Basic Car 15A33 Officer Jennifer DuVally Cell Phone (818) 632-0809 30991@lapd.lacity.org : Year-to-date Part one crime is up 2.78 percent. GTA leads the numbers with 26 percent. With the summer months here, please be mindful to lock and secure the windows in your home. It is tempting to leave your windows open in the evening hours due to the heat but we also notice an increase in break-ins during the warm weather months. Never leave your child or pet in a vehicle during the hot summer months, even for a minute. It s a recipe for disaster. Vehicle break-ins continue to be on the increase and a reminder to Lock it, Hide it, Keep it. Thank you! 30991@lapd.lacity.org Basic Car 15A43 Senior Lead Officer Manuel Arreygue Cell Phone (818) 634-0829 30026@lapd.lacity.org During the last period, Basic Car 15A43 experienced an overall decrease in all Part I crimes, with the exception of auto thefts. Unfortunately, people are leaving vehicles unlocked with their keys either in the glove box or under the seat, making it an extremely easy target for a thief. Please help us by being more vigilant. Doing your part will help reduce this type of crime and prevent you from becoming a victim. Thank you!! Community Events Neighborhood Council Valley Village NCVV Board Meeting Faith Presbyterian Church - Social Hall 5000 Colfax Avenue Valley Village, CA 91607 Wednesday, June 25, 6:30 p.m. Basic Car 15A67 Senior Lead Officer Robert Benavidez Cell Phone (818) 634-0978 32151@lapd.lacity.org We had a pretty good past four weeks. Violent crime was down over 40 percent and property crime had an overall reduction of 25 percent. Our big drop in crimes is being seen in theft, which had a reduction of over 35 percent and burglary from vehicles, which was reduced by 24 percent. Even though we had a pretty good four-week period our actual year-to-date numbers have risen to an increase of just over one percent. Violent crime continues to remain low however; we need to remain vigilant on our crime reduction efforts and strategies. Residential burglaries continue to remain extremely low in the Toluca Lake area, but this area was hit with several car break-ins over the last month. The increase in transient population in the NoHo and Toluca Lake areas has been a continued community concern. I have and will continue in partnership with Council District 4 and PATH (People Assisting The Homeless) to conduct continuous outreach in placing our Area s homeless into shelters. We remain committed to cause. N o r t h H o l l y w o o d N e w s l e t t e r P a g e 5