Captain's Message

Remember that the July 4th holiday is upon us and as the days heat up, fire dangers increase significantly. Please arrange to attend one of the City of Los Angeles' planned events to enjoy the fireworks with your family and friends.

The dangers of handling illegal fireworks are made clear by our Senior Lead Officers. Personal experiences of real tragedies are countless as indicated by some of their stories. The City of Los Angeles offers many locations, near and far, for viewing the spectacular shows and spending time out of doors with your loved ones….please heed the warnings.

On July 14, the PALS Golf Tournament will be held at Porter Ranch Country Club and is a fundraiser to help officers, community members and friends and family enjoy the outdoors event.

Devonshire Area will be hosting National Night Out on August 8, 2008, 6:00 – 10:00 pm, at the Station. Bring your family, friends and neighbors! Bring your own favorite picnic food and enjoy a "Picnic in the Park." Captain Sean Kane, Captain Steven A. Ruiz and your senior Lead Officers will be your hosts.

Basic Car Area 17A23
Senior Lead Officer Dan Del Valle, Cell 818-634-0362
E-mail: 27677@lapd.lacity.org
SLO Supervisor, Sergeant Torres, 818-363-1726

Summer fun is here… and it's time to enjoy the season, but please be safe and keep your family safe. For most of us when we hear the month of July we immediately relate this to BBQ and fireworks. I really love getting together with my family and friends for the festivities and to watch the fireworks. I encourage everyone to attend a City sanctioned fireworks show with your family and friends where you have a greater chance of being safe. The possession and/or use of any type of firework (safe & sane and sparklers) are illegal. Every year fireworks cause tragic injuries and have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage across the country. Last year a personal friend of mine (no names) took his family to an Indian Casino where fireworks sales and use are legal. My friend took his family to an area (non-supervised) where guests were setting off all kinds of fireworks. Warning bells…danger, danger should have gone off but, we know how many people become intrigued with the show. In short someone discharged a sky rocket firework and the rocket's direction of travel quickly changed heading towards his family. In an attempt to get his family out of danger he was hit in the arm, and was left with a huge whole and burn injury to his arm. My friend had to seek medical treatment and still ended up with a major infection, ruined family trip, and almost lost an arm. I know I might sound like a wet blanket, but I just want you and your families to be safe. I have acquaintances that have had their fingers blown off igniting fireworks/explosives, and to this day they are still embarrassed over the stupid act. Explosive fireworks are explosives, and it's a roll of the dice ….Don't roll the dice with your loved ones.

1998 fireworks Victim-former Deputy

Events Past and Future - Mark Your Calendars
June 5th we celebrated the ground breaking for the Councilman Greg Smith Devonshire Division PALS Center. Lorraine New, Greg Baker, Councilman Greg Smith, Nancy Cartwright, and so many others have been extremely devoted to getting this youth center built for the community and it has become a reality. Thank you all for supporting this safe haven for the children in the community.

June 6th was the Supporters of Law Enforcement in Devonshire (S.O.L.I.D.) Annual Car show at the Flamers Restaurant in Northridge. The event showcased a lot of awesome vehicles and the food was great. Devonshire Division thanks Flamers and all who attended with the amazing cars for your support. We also owe a huge thank you to the S.O.L.I.D. folks that worked so hard on the event to make it a success.

July 14th is the 29th Annual Devonshire Pals Golf Invitational. This event is a lot of fun so please join in and play, or come down and watch. For more information call 818-349-1706 or visit the PALS website www.devonshire-pals.org.

Neighborhood Watch meetings for Basic Car 17A23 are held on the 4th Thursday of each month at St. John Eudes Church located at 9901 Mason Avenue in Chatsworth at 7:00 p.m. Our next Neighborhood Watch Meeting is on July 24, 2008. We will have a representative from the fire department and our topic is Emergency Preparedness. Guest Speaker Nancy Rector will also give our group a presentation on the Devonshire Volunteer Surveillance Team (VST). I hope to see a strong attendance.

August 5th is the LAPD Devonshire Division National Night Out. Please come and join us at the Devonshire Station Memorial Park located across from the station. The event will from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. The event is a family/picnic setting with food and other refreshments so bring a blanket and enjoy yourself.

Crime Trends in 17A23 Area and Prevention Tips
Daytime residential burglaries and graffiti/vandalism are the crimes we need to focus on. Please continue to be on the lookout for suspicious activity and report it. One Block Captain, Carlos Sandoval, discovered mail theft activity had occurred, and immediately jumped into action. Carlos used his neighborhood watch phone tree list to inform his group of the activity. Thank you Carlos for all you do. I know this was a key factor with stopping the problem. When criminal activity stops it means that the suspect was arrested for some type of crime, or the suspect feels that the area is wise to the criminal activity and decide look elsewhere.

FYI…
Please remember that the new laws regarding cell phone use when driving take effect July 1st.Adults can operate a hands free only cellular phone device while operating a motor vehicle. Minors cannot use or operate any type of cellular phone or device while operating a motor vehicle. These laws only apply to the driver of the motor vehicle, passengers are exempt. Another exception is operators of emergency vehicle (fire, police, ambulance) during the course of employment are exempt.

Please e-mail me with your concerns or request for Block Club meetings at 27677@lapd.lacity.org

BASIC CAR 17A27
Senior Lead Officer Dario Del Core Cell Phone 818-634-0577
27286@lapd.lacity.org
SLO Supervisor, Sergeant Torres, 818-363-1726

CRIME UPDATE --- RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY ALERT
The entire Division is experiencing a spike in residential burglaries. There have been 14 hit in the past week alone (6/01/08-6/07/08) in our own basic car area and all of our incidents have occurred north of Rinaldi. In many cases the suspects entered through unlocked windows. There were repeated incidents, just a few days apart, on specific streets and specific hundred block numbers; three on 11800 Doral, two on 18400 Hampton Ct and two between 17400/17600 Tuscan Dr.
This is the time to step up our awareness level and keep our eyes open for all suspicious activity. Remember, residential burglary is generally a daytime occurrence. Get together with your neighbors and work out a plan to look out for each other's properties. Be suspicious of stranger's vehicles pulling up to your neighbor's residence and monitor the activity.
Don't hesitate to call our dispatch number if you sense something is not right. Call 1-877-275-5273 for non-emergency situations, such as a prowler. Use 911 if you actually see a crime in progress.
And remember…. don't open the door to strangers. There have been incidents were suspects have accessed victims homes by using false pretenses such as a lost pet, needing access to the backyard, etc. Do not let strangers in your home and be suspicious of any solicitors.

**** RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY UPDATE --- 5/05/08-6/07/08 ****
06/07 RD 1715 17100 Rinaldi- unlocked door, electronics/jewelry taken
06/07 RD 1713 11500 Yolanda-attempt only- no prop taken
06/06 RD 1702 11300 Porter Valley- kicked door- possible suspect ID'd
06/06 RD 1702 11800 Doral-unlocked window- electronics/jewelry taken
06/06 RD 1715 17100 Bircher- smashed window- jewelry taken
06/05 RD 1727 17000 Jersey- unlocked window- electronics/jewelry taken
06/04 RD 1701 11400 Santini –attempt only- no prop taken
06/04 RD 1702 11800 Doral- smashed glass door- jewelry taken
06/03 RD 1701 20700 Campania-open door- laptop/jewelry taken
06/03 RD 1705 17600 Tuscan Dr- smashed window- jewelry/$ taken
06/03 RD 1706 17400 Tuscan Dr –unlocked window- Jewelry/$ taken
06/03 RD 1702 11800 Doral- pried door- jewelry and checks taken
06/03 RD 1706 12700 Darla- kicked door- jewelry/$ taken
06/02 RD 1704 18400 Hampton ct- smashed window- jewelry/$ taken
05/30 RD 1715 17100 Barneston- pried window- jewelry/$ taken
05/30 RD 1704 18400 Hampton ct –pried door- electronics/$ taken
05/29 RD 1727 11000 Enfield- smashed glass door- jewelry/$ taken
05/23 RD 1704 18500 Calle Vista Circle -
HOT PROWL- Resident was home. He heard the doorbell ring and chose not to answer. The suspect went to the backyard, cut a window screen and entered the residence. Resident fled and alerted neighbor. By the time the police arrived the suspect was gone. Property taken was computer equipment and jewelry. Suspect description-Male Caucasian 507/140 20/25 yrs, tattoo on right arm
05/19 RD 1706 11800 Highwater-key used, vacant prop- tools taken
05/19 RD 1728 11100 Hayvenhurst-pried door- computer and TVs taken
05/18 RD 1715 12300 El Oro-open window- electronics and docs taken
05/13 RD 1716 11200 Bertrand-unlocked window-Resident came home while burglary was in progress and confronted susps. Susps fled. Property taken jewelry.
Suspects description - 1 Male Middle Eastern 602/180 26 yrs old and 1 Female NFI.
Vehicle used - Older white sedan NFI
05/13 RD 1704 18900 Brasilia-unlocked door- electronics and jewelry taken
05/08 RD 1727 17400 Ludlow-pried window- alarm sounded- no prop taken

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH AND E-POLICING

Neighborhood Watch works well and we are always interested in expanding our membership. It does not cost anything to be a member. All we ask is that you attend a one-hour meeting just once a month. You can also receive a monthly newsletter with the latest crime information completely free of charge.

If you would like to be neighborhood watch member, come to one of our monthly meetings. Better yet …if you would like to organize your block and have every neighbor look out for each other contact the Devonshire Senior Lead Office at 818 363-1726 and ask how you can go about setting up a "start up meeting".

E-Policing is our way of bringing community policing to the Internet. The E-Policing program enables Senior Lead Officers, Area Captains, and detectives to e-mail newsletters, crime trends and other important information to you. This information is available online. Anyone can sign up by simply going to www.lapdepolicing.org

NEXT MEETING INFORMATION
Our next meeting will be on Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 7:00 PM at Saint Euphrasia Church, 11766 Shoshone Ave in Granada Hills.

Basic Car Area 17A55
Senior Lead Officer Kathy Bennett Cell Phone: 818-634-0495
27437@lapd.lacity.org
SLO Supervisor, Sergeant Torres, 818-363-1726

…AND THE ROCKET'S RED GLARE…

It's that time of year again. Time for family barbeques, red, white and blue bunting, homemade ice cream and fireworks. Wait…did I just say fireworks? Well, I did, but there is a "catch" to the fireworks part. That catch is that fireworks of any kind are illegal in the City of Los Angeles. That includes the "Safe and Sane" variety. I bet some of you who are reading this article are surprised by that fact. There are reasons fireworks are banned within the city limits.

Fireworks are extremely dangerous, and every year numerous children and adults are injured as a result of playing with fireworks.
There is a very high degree of fire danger from fireworks, especially during the dry brush season.
Fireworks of any kind (including the "Safe and Sane" variety) are illegal within the City of Los Angeles, and law enforcement will enforce appropriate laws.

Did you know that last year Valley Bureau led the entire city for radio calls of loud fireworks? South Bureau had 14 fireworks-related calls, Central Bureau had 104, West Bureau had 157, and Valley Bureau had a whopping 703! That's more than double the amount of fireworks-related radio calls than the rest of the city. What that tells me is there are a lot of self-proclaimed pyrotechnic "experts" risking their life and limbs (and those of their audience) igniting their own fireworks displays. Don't do that!

So what is a patriotic American supposed to do to celebrate Independence Day? I would encourage you to attend one of the many professional shows put on throughout the City. Take your patience, have fun, and gather with like-minded celebrants and oooooooh and ahhhhhh to the professionally launched rocket's red glare…and have a piece of apple pie for me!

CRIME UPDATE

If you haven't signed up for E-policing at www.lapdonline.org please do so. I can send you timely crime updates as necessary via e-mail. Also on www.lapdonline.org you can access current crime maps for your neighborhood.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Basic Car is still seeing daytime residential burglaries. You may recall that the upper east side of the Basic Car was getting hit. That area has slowed down considerably. Now the problem is widely scattered with no real "groups" or "clusters". Historically, once the summer months get under way, we have an increase in residential burglaries. Some of that we attribute to kids being out of school. But trust me, there are plenty of adult burglars out there as well. Thieves are mostly targeting items easy to conceal and carry – in particular high dollar jewelry. In this type of situation it is critical that you are aware of strangers in your neighborhood. If you see something suspicious, don't confront the person. Call us instead at the non-emergency number (877) 275-5273. If you see a crime in progress (someone you don't know crawling through a neighbor's window or going into their backyard) you can call 9-1-1.

When it comes to commercial burglaries, we are seeing an increase of construction sites being attacked for any copper wiring that might be left unattended. I'm sure you've seen on the news that the areas all over the southland are getting hit because the "scrap" copper is fairly valuable. If you've got a construction site in your neighborhood, be especially vigilant.

The good news is that our Grand Theft Auto (GTA) crimes and our Burglary from Motor Vehicle (BFMV) crimes are still way down. With that said, the Reseda corridor is the hot spot for that activity – in particular between Lassen and Plummer. That's a small area, so if you're driving along Reseda or the adjacent alleys – especially at night, keep your eyes open. Remember, I don't want you to confront anyone! If you see something suspicious, give us a call.

Our next meeting will be:

Date: July 29, 2008
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Calahan Elementary School
Address: 18722 Knapp Street

We're trying to line up a guest speaker from the Department of Transportation so you can ask questions about parked vehicles, speed humps, traffic studies regarding new growth etc.

Hope to see you there!

Basic Car Area 17A83
Senior Lead Officer Sue Herold Cell Phone: 818-634-0579
24732@lapd.lacity.org
SLO Supervisor, Sergeant Torres, 818-363-1726

Events Past and Future

June has not negatively impacted us as it has in the past, as of the writing of this article! Our violent crime is down and, knock on wood, property crime is not on an upswing. Our meeting on the 11th was very informative. Lt. Zak, Officer In Charge of Topanga Area's Detectives, was king enough to bring his "Tagging" Power Point presentation to our meeting and field questions from our membership.

I will defer to SLO23's poignant article on the 4th of July festivities and simply say, stay safe and have fun on our nation's birthday!

National Night Out is August 5th at the park across the street from Devonshire Station. Bring all your picnic garb and your basket full of goodies and join us to show the "bad guys" that we are unified and great in numbers!

Please visit Councilman Smith's website for his motion on foreclosed homes in the City at www.cd12.org.

Our next meeting will be on July 9th, 2008. Neighborhood Watch meetings for Basic Car 17A83 are on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at our location of LAPD's Valley Communications Dispatch Center on the northwest corner of Roscoe Boulevard at Lena Avenue (west of Fallbrook Avenue across the street from the Fire Station.) The 911 Center is next to the building previously occupied by DeVry University and our meetings begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise announced. Those members choosing to stay past the Neighborhood Watch portion might be interested in the West Hills Community discussion that takes place immediately thereafter.

Crime trends and "Hot" Locations in 17A83 Last Month

The current term "hot" refers to the southeast portion of 17A83 and the apparent knowledge that the presence of an effective Block Club has made the area "too hot" to work in for the criminals! All of our members who live in Reporting District1786 (Tampa-Winnetka/Parthenia-Roscoe) should pat yourselves on the back! The property and violent crime trend that popped up there has all but ceased! Your diligence on the east side of that area has been rewarded Mary Alice! Hence, a huge thank you to Block Captain Mary Alice S. and Police Community Representative Annette H. (you know who you are) for all of your hard work, powers of observation, and the willingness to get and stay on top of the goings on in your area! These ladies do not hesitate to notify the concerned government agency of issues that need attention and they are the epitome of concerned and active Neighborhood Watch members!

We have a new Apartment Watch in the area of De Soto and Parthenia! I commend you for your efforts and enthusiasm and look forward to working with all of you in the future! Your first order of business is reporting suspicious activity in the area but I'm sure in short order you'll have the bad guys moving along to a less organized community!

…and now for something not so different

Sometimes the road not so recently travelled is the best one to take and often the most direct! The best and easiest crime prevention tool is building a close knit community! Criminals do not like to be seen and therefore most often work at night and on the weekends when no one is around! It is such a simple concept! Get to know your neighbors, single family homes to large apartment complexes, it's all the same. You will know who is supposed to be in your neighborhood and who is not. Gather even just two or three of your neighbors and hang out in the front yard or in a common area of your complex. You'll have new friends or rekindle old relationships and you'll remember what made this country great back in 1776, working together can move people to create greatness for themselves and the masses for hundreds of years to come. We all have commonalities with those who live nearby. Our neighbors are stakeholders in our own safety, and improving and maintaining our areas and property values. Neighborhood Watch works and you can be a leader ….just start up a Block Club, Apartment/Condo/Townhouse or Business Watch! I'll get you started and we'll be on our way to a better and safer L.A!

Please tell all your friends and neighbors or show them this newsletter!
Please e-mail me with your concerns or requests for Block Club meetings at 24732@lapd.lacity.org