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Foothill Community Newsletter
September 2013
Vol. IV, No. 9
Captain’s Message
I hope your summer is going well.
Foothill’s Senior Lead Office continues to hold impromptu Neighborhood Watch meetings on a street near you. The officers and cadets knock on doors in a two-block area and invite residents out to meetings. Crime trends and problems are discussed at these meetings. The officers target areas where crime is higher. Please take advantage of these meetings where you can meet your local officers as they present topics and ideas.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Just a reminder, the City of Los Angeles has a 3-1-1 system for your use. It is easy to use and you can pretty much access all City services through it. Remember that the number can only be dialed from your home telephone. When you are finished making your request for service, ask for a confirmation number from the operator.
The following are some other useful phone numbers for everyone to use. Please make note of the following:
FOOTHILL FRONT DESK…………………………………(818) 756-8861
VALLEY TRAFFIC MOTOR OFFICER ……………….….(818) 644-8142
CITY OF LOS ANGELES INFORMATION………...(any city entity)..3-1-1
GRAFFITI REMOVAL…………………3-1-1…or.……… (800) 247-3395
FOOTHILL VICE………………………………………… (818) 834-3170
FOOTHILL GANG UNIT………………………………… (818) 897-6970
ABANDONED VEHICLES……………3-1-1…or….……..(800) 222-6366
OPERATION BRIGHT LIGHTS………3-1-1…or….……. (800) 303-5267
BULKY ITEM PICK UP……………… 3-1-1…or….…… (800) 773-2489
Senior Lead Officer Steve Nunez (SLO 11)
(818) 634-0652
E-mail: 35382@lapd.lacity.org
Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the summer months. Our new City Council Office, Pacoima Beautiful, and LAPD have some big plans to clean up Pacoima. We will be working together with our community members on Saturday October 5 to clean up the area around Costco as well as Van Nuys Boulevard between San Fernando Rd and Glenoaks Boulevard. Our second cleanup is scheduled for the Hansen Hills in November. More details will be provided.
The Pacoima area continues to experience grand theft autos (GTA) and burglaries from motor vehicle (BFMV) incidents. Victims are still leaving items visible inside their vehicles. I encourage you to share w/ your family and friends to NOT leave anything valuable inside their vehicles in plain sight.
If you see something, say something! Remember to generate a radio call for police service when you see suspicious activity. If it doesn’t feel right, it usually isn’t.
Foothill Voluntary Surveillance Team is looking for new members. If you are interested contact Foothill Community Relationship Office and speak with Officer Avila
(818) 756-8866.
Meeting Groups Locations Date & Time
1. Pinney/El Dorado 13601 Pinney St Sept 4 at 6:00pm
2. Mercer/Sutter 10920 Sutter Ave Sept 11th at 6:00pm
If you have any questions regarding joining or creating a neighborhood watch group in your area, please do not hesitate to contact me at (818)634-0652.
Hello, hope everyone is doing well. The first shout out is a big Thank you to everyone that helped out with National Night Out on August 6th. It was great. We had over 500 people there eating, playing games, winning prizes, meeting the Council people and Police officers. One lucky person won a bicycle! It was nice to see community members mingling with each other as neighbors should. For me, seeing people that I had not seen since last year was very nice. I also met a lot of new people. Let’s all keep in touch and keep our community clean, healthy and free of crime by working together. Let’s not wait till next year, give me a call and lets work on solving problems that make everyones life better.
A Special Thank you to all the Sponsors in Pacoima that helped make National Night Out a success. As always, they gave back to their community. Thank You and See you out there…Be safe.
Don’t forget to sign up with NIXLE.COM for community crime alerts and information from Foothill Division that is text messaged to your cell phone. This is a great way of staying informed with information that comes from your police station. You will have up-to-date information and be well informed of what is going on in the community.
CRIME TRENDS (Same as Last Month)
In my area, South Pacoima, our major problem is still property crimes. Burglary, Grand Theft Auto and Burglary from Motor Vehicle. We can’t stress enough that it’s very important that you lock and secure your homes by checking the windows, garage doors and back doors. Please remember, Do Not leave anything valuable in your vehicle. You can prevent being a victim by paying attention to detail when it comes to your property. Call me with any questions or issues.
Don’t forget, drop by the station and get the special screws for your plates… free. Come on down and we (police) will change out the screws in a few minutes.
IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU TAKE THE FOLLOWING PRECAUTIONS:
* Be alert of strangers in your neighborhood.
* If possible obtain an alarm or lock for your car.
* If someone is “hanging around” in your block that does not belong, notify your neighbors.
* Report suspicious activity. Call the Foothill Desk and keep the SLO Officer (me) informed.
* Foothill Desk (818) 756-8861.
* ALWAYS CALL 911 when observing unknown suspects breaking in to any vehicle or home.
FOR ADDITIONAL SAFETY INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT FOOTHILL AREA AUTO OR BURGLARY DETECTIVES AT (818) 834-3115.
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH NEWS
There are different locations for the community to attend a neighborhood watch meeting. Please make it a point to attend any of the following and do your part for your neighborhood.
The Hansen Hills Neighborhood Watch - September 13, 2013 at 6:30 pm. At the Pacoima Community Center, 11243 Glenoaks Blvd.
The San Fernando Gardens Neighborhood Watch meeting is on September 19 at 5:00 pm located at 10982 Lehigh Ave.
The David Gonzalez Park Neighborhood Watch meeting will be on September 18, 2013 at
5:30 pm located at David Gonzalez Park, 10943 Herrick Ave.
You can also attend the Pacoima Neighborhood Council meetings and have a voice for your area. September 18 at 6:30 pm at the Pacoima Community Center, 11243 Glenoaks Blvd.
We Have our Community Police Advisory Board (C-PAB) meeting on September 12 at 6:00 pm at the Japanese American Community Center, 12953 Branford St.
Please join us. It is a good way to find out what is going on in your area.
TRAFFIC SAFETY
If there are any problem traffic areas that you would like to have patrolled, please call Valley Traffic at (818) 644-8142.
USEFUL INFORMATION
A reminder about the 3-1-1 system. Any of the Los Angeles City services can be obtained from that phone number. Remember that the number can only be dialed from your home telephone. When you are finished ask for a confirmation number from the operator.
Senior Lead Officer Don Boon (SLO 35)
(818) 634-0705
E-mail: 31095@lapd.lacity.org
Officer Boon is on vacation this month but will return on September 10.
Senior Lead Officer Richard Wall (SLO 59)
(818) 634-0754
E-mail: 30204@lapd.lacity.org
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH NEWS
Hi everyone! Last month we had 40 people to listen to Detective Adams from our Burglary Detectives table. The next neighborhood watch meeting is on Tuesday September 17 at 6:30PM at7747 Foothill Boulevard. Park in the rear parking lot. Parole Compliance Unit Detectives will be there.
My Community Coffee is back every first Tuesday of the month at the Starbucks in Albertsons at 6240 Foothill Boulevard and will be on September 3 from 8:00AM – 10:00AM.
CRIME TRENDS
Our largest crime concern is still vehicle thefts, burglaries, and burglaries from motor vehicles. I can’t express enough, how important it is for everyone to keep their homes and cars secure. As I continue reviewing the crime reports, there has been one reoccurring factor. Most of the burglars have been able to walk into an unlocked door or get into an unlocked window and unlocked car doors. It’s imperative that all of us help each other. This is an old trick to knock and see if someone is home.
Numerous BFMV’s have occurred at the La Tuna Canyon Road / 210 Freeway trail head. Please leave nothing of value in your car and lock your car! The first thing suspect(s) do is to check and see if the vehicles’ doors are unlocked. Even if it is locked, if they see something of value they will break a window. If you see someone hanging around the neighborhood that you know doesn’t live there, please call the non-emergency number for the Police Department (818) 734-2223.
If you see a crime in progress then please call 9-1-1. Please lock all your doors and windows when you leave or go to sleep at night. Remember to lock the doors on your vehicles as well.
An amazing tool that we have been using is FREE and EASY to sign up for. I ask that all of you sign up with NIXLE.COM for community crime alerts and information from Foothill Division that is text messaged to your cell phone. This is a great way of staying informed with information that comes from your police station.
TRAFFIC SAFETY
Please remember to slow down. Valley Traffic Division will be enforcing traffic laws in the Foothill Area. I too will be monitoring and enforcing the law within the Tujunga area. Please help yourself avoid the potential financial strain of a citation. Slow down. Give yourself enough time to get where you’re going. Please remember to pick a designated driver prior to attending a party or barbecue. It would be a shame to have to watch one of our young citizens become injured in a senseless act of drunk driving.
If there are any problem traffic areas that you would like to have patrolled, please call Valley Traffic at 818-644-8142, and leave a message for Officer Flores.
Officer Rodriguez is off at this time. The Community Relations Sergeant is working on obtaining a temporary officer to cover the east side of Sun Valley. Should you have any questions or quality of life issues, please call our office at (818) 756-8866.
CURRENT CRIME TRENDS
Basic Car 16A81, Saticoy north to the 5 Freeway and the 170 Freeway east to the border of Burbank. It is a struggle with crime in the area. There has been an increase in burglaries, car break-ins, and stolen cars. Luckily, we are still just below in total amount of crime from last year to this year. We definitely need the community’s help, by closing and locking windows and keeping property out of sight. But before I give an update on those crimes I will update on robberies.
In July, there were eight robberies, two of them businesses. The other six were street robberies. There wasn’t a trend but four of the robberies the suspect approached the victim from the rear. This means that the victim didn’t hear or see the suspect coming up behind them. Please be aware of your surroundings. Criminals don’t want to be identified and nowadays with a growing number of persons with tattoos, identification is stronger. But if you are blindsided, you don’t get a chance to get a look at the suspect, so again just be aware of your surroundings by looking around and by not being distracted by a cell phone or other listening device. In August, so far there has been a decrease We will keep working the area to keep this type of crime down.
There were 14 burglaries in the area and 7 of those were of businesses, in the month of July.
As for August, we had about 13 with just a couple of days left in the months. This crime hasn’t died down. In August, there was only one business burglary which means the other 12 are residential. Most of the property taken was jewelry. There were several pried rear doors/sliding doors. Please keep an eye out for you and your neighbors.
In the month of July there were 19 car break-ins. The majority of these break-ins had the batteries of the car taken. There were two 3rd row seats taken along with several purses and wallets. Oddly, there were a higher number of unlocked vehicles in August then in July. There were also a lot of small streets that the cars were parked on that were broken into. We typically see the parking lots, but there were the smaller residential streets, so please watch out and listen for you and your neighbor’s vehicles.
As for thefts, there were some incidents of people leaving purses, wallets, or phones in a business and then returned only to find the stuff gone. There are good people out there who would return these things, but unfortunately, not in these particular instances. Take a moment to make sure you have everything with you before you leave a business.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Sancola Street Neighborhood Watch, Thursday, September 1, 2013, 7:00 p.m.,
7726 Sancola Street
Sun Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Meeting, Tuesday, September 10, 2013, 12:00 p.m.,
10631 Vinedale Street, Villa Scalabrini Retirement Center
Sun Valley Neighborhood Council Meeting, Tuesday, September 10, 2013, 6:30 p.m.,
10631 Vinedale Street, Villa Scalabrini Retirement Center
Crockett Street Neighborhood Watch, Wednesday, September 11, 2013, 7:00 p.m.,
8300 San Fernando Road, Industrial Metal Supply
Community Police Advisory Board (CPAB) Meeting, Thursday, September 12, 2013, 6:00 p.m.,
12953 Branford Street, Japanese American Center
Strathern Street Neighborhood Watch, Wednesday, September 18, 2013, 6:30 p.m.,
12120 Strathern Street, Church of the Nazarene
North Hollywood North East Neighborhood Council, Thursday, September 19, 2013, 7:00 p.m.,
7063 Laurel Canyon Boulevard, Fire Station 89
CRIME TIPS
School has started, so please take the extra time when driving around the school areas. This is not only for the safety of the children, but it is also respectful for the neighbors that live right by the schools.
valley bureau 
