Captain's Message

Basic Car 19A1 Sylmar (West of Glenoaks Blvd.)
Senior Lead Officer John Lonergan
Cell Phone 818-634-0610    
Office Phone 818-838-9848
 
Crime Trends
Crime is has taken a Three percent increase year to date, that equals approximately ten crimes over last year.  Our increase is due largely to violent crime, specifically robberies.  Robberies and aggravated assaults are up slightly in this last reporting period.  Homicides are -100%, Rapes 0%, burglary -5%, Auto theft (GTA) -8%, burglary/theft from vehicle (BTFV) -9%.  Even though we are in the negatives for property crimes this reporting period, property crimes still constitutes most of our yearly crime. We have seen a dramatic reduction in violent crime since the beginning of the year and I expect it to be further reduced due to the permanent Gang injunction to be serviceable at the end of August.   

There is one statistic we can all improve- BTFV. Take a moment to secure your vehicle. Do not leave valuables - cameras, cellphones, GPS units in plain sight. Lock them in the trunk. Lock your vehicle, set your car alarm. Take extra precautions at night- park in well-lit areas. At your residence park in your garage. With just a little effort and caution we could reduce our number of crimes!

September is National Preparedness Month

• Does your family have an emergency plan?
• Do your children and seniors know what to do and who to contact should an emergency or disaster happen when they are not with you? 

The 17th Annual City of LA Emergency Preparedness Fair is Saturday, Sept. 27 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Panorama Mall 8401 Van Nuys Blvd. Panorama City, 91402. Admission is free. There will be representatives from the LA Dept. of Emergency Preparedness, Fire, Police, Animal Services, Building & Safety and City, County and State agencies with information on emergency and disaster preperation along with emergency products and preparedness demonstrations.
Information: www.lacity.org/emd 213-978-2222

Disaster Preparedness:

• Learn what you can do.
• Share what you have learned.
• Make a Plan Create a family emergency plan with an evacuation plan and escape routes from your home.
• Pick a place to meet after a disaster.
• Review your plan, practice earthquake drills twice a year.
• Check your child’s school for their emergency plan.
• Tell your children how and when to call 911. 
• Make back-up plans for children in case you can't get home in an emergency.
• Choose an emergency contact person outside your area.
• Create an Emergency Contact Card for each family member to carry with them.
• Install smoke detectors in your home, especially near bedrooms.
• Teach family members how to use the fire extinguisher.
• Take a Red Cross first aid and CPR class.
• Anchor appliances and heavy objects including bookcases, TVs and audio units.
• Plan in advance how to care for your pets in a disaster.
• Because pets may not be permitted in public shelters- find a friend or "pet-friendly" hotel.
• Put a Pet Alert sign with number and type of pets on your front window or door. 
• Every six months check your Disaster Kit, update numbers, replace missing items including  prescription and non-prescription drugs, check medicine, food- including pet supplies, water and batteries to be sure nothing has expired, spoiled, or changed .

Disaster Supplies Kit
You can buy or build an emergency kit for your home. Store at least a 4-5 day supply of non perishable food and water for each family member (including pets) or as much as you can. Allow one gallon of water per person per day for drinking, food preparation and hygiene, half gallon per pet. Also a battery-powered radio and flashlight with extra batteries, first aid kit, medical supplies and prescription medications, a change of clothes, sturdy shoes, a sleeping bag or blanket, a manual can opener, whistle, wrench, crowbar, plastic sheeting & duct tape, matches, Fire Extinguisher-ABC type and plastic garbage bags & ties. Keep items in an easy to carry container such as a covered trash container or a duffle bag.

Should you have to leave your home take your Disaster Kit with you! Take your pets with you-do not leave them behind. Lock your home.

Be Informed
Know what may happen and how you can help. Resources include:
Local American Red Cross offers information, first aid, CPR and disaster training:  310 445-9900 www.redcross.org/preparedness  www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_77_,00.html,  www.ready.gov
Earthquakes: www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/earthquakes.html
Pets: www.hsus.org 
FEMA 1-800-480-2520  www.americancpr.com
Dept. Homeland Security: www.dhs.gov/xcitizens/editorial_0711.shtm
Kids: teach children how to prepare for and respond to disasters and other emergencies www.redcross.org/disaster/masters/

Events
I encourage all of you to participant in Mission Station’s various Community Policing Groups. October 29 will be Officer Appreciation Day at Mission. If you would like to be involved please contact Melanie McShane at 818-599-1589 or melanie.mcshane@olsonmax.com. The Sylmar Block Captain's will meet Thursday, September 18, 6:30-7:45pm at the Sylmar Library 14561 Polk Street.  Sign up for “E Policing” at www.lapdonline.org. You will receive important information regarding community events and crime updates.

Basic Car 19A7 Sylmar
Senior Lead Officer Charles Chacon      
Cell Phone 818-634-0619
Office Phone 818-838-9847 

Welcome to 19A7 basic car newsletter for September 2008.  Basic Car 19A7 area consists of Sylmar, east of Glenoaks Blvd.

Hello everyone and welcome to Basic Car 19A7/Sylmar.  I want to welcome our new Sylmar Heights Neighborhood Watch Group to the Sylmar family.  We had our first meeting in August and are already planning their first Community Clean-up for September 27, 2008.  If you would like to start a Neighborhood Watch Program in your area please give me a call.  The Program encourages Neighborhoods to watch out for each other.  It is a great crime prevention and reduction tool.

Our National Night Out Event was very successful!  We had over 300 residents in attendance.  It was nice to see our Sylmar Neighborhood Watch groups come together and celebrate their Neighborhoods.  I hope more can join us next year for the event.

Our Teen program on Friday Nights is going strong and the teens are having a great time.  If you own a business and would like to sponsor food for the teens, please let me know!

Let’s care about our neighborhoods and keep them clean and crime free.  If you want to be part of a Neighborhood Watch Group or want to get one started, call me.  It is very important to be active in your community and show the criminals out there that “You Care!”

We have a new Officer assigned to the Graffiti Taskforce at the division.  Officer Mondel  can be reached at 818-838-9810.  Please call her if you have any questions on the vandalism problems in Sylmar concerning graffiti.  

Please continue to secure your residences, vehicles, and personal belongings to help detour property crime.

Crime Trends

Property crime was high this past period.  Grand Theft Auto, Burglaries and Burglary for Motor Vehicle occurred throughout the basic car area.  The majority of crime occurred from Midnight to 6 a.m.  We can all make a difference by working together to make our city and neighborhoods safer. Please report suspicious people and cars in your neighborhoods.

We want to keep our neighborhoods clean, not only for cleanliness, but it also discourages criminals from wanting to commit crime.  A clean neighborhood means that its residents care about their neighborhood and say “NO” to crime. As a reminder, if you do have excess trash and/or furniture items, please call “ 311” to schedule a pick-up.  If your neighbors are placing items on the curb and sidewalk, remind them about “311” and we can all work as a team to keep our neighborhoods clean!

The car most likely stolen in Sylmar is a Toyota Camry and trucks. If anyone has information that will help us identify the person or persons involved in the auto thefts please give me a call.

Remember there is no excuse for domestic violence.  Talk to a friend, pastor, or your local support group for relationship problems prior to any violence.  You can always call a domestic violence hotline for referrals and assistance 24 hours a day at 1-818-887-6589.

Remember to check your credit rating at least twice a year for any identify theft information.  Contact your local bank, credit card, and social security office, if any discrepancies exist in your credit rating.

Traffic Problems
If you have any traffic problems, please call me so that we can resolve the issue and get our Officers to issue citations.  Let me know about any more stop signs that people are not stopping for: especially if they are near a school.   Please slow down and remember to wear your seat belt at all times.  Remind your friends, neighbors, family, and especially children about the dangers of jaywalking.

Be safe and help your neighbors.

Upcoming Events

Sylmar Block Captain’s Meeting will be on 9/18/08 at 6:30 p.m. at the Sylmar Library located at Glenoaks Blvd and Polk St.

Teen Program at Sylmar Park/Friday Nights at 6 p.m. 
 
If you have a Question or need information: Remember “Its one call to city hall” call 311for city-related issues and desired information.  For non-emergency calls you can dial 1-877-ASK-LAPD (1-877-275-5273).  So until next time, be safe and take your time getting where you need to go.

Basic Car Area 19A23
Senior Lead Officer Mike Braun
Office Phone 818-838-9843
Cell phone    818-634-0519
Email: 27025@lapd.lacity.org

Current Events
On August 5th, 2008 we held our annual National Night Out event at the Andres Pico Adobe Historical Site, located at 10940 Sepulveda Boulevard.  There were over four hundred people who attended the festive event and it was obvious that the children really had a go.  A huge thanks goes out to Ron and Patti Howell for organizing the event and all the volunteers who came from the Mission Hills and Granada Hills Neighborhood Watch Groups to lend a hand. 

This month’s Neighborhood Watch meeting is scheduled for September 10th, 2008.  The meeting will be held in the Community Room at Mission Station and begins at 7:00 p.m.  Officer Jim Panek from the Valley Traffic Division will be here to answer any traffic concerns. 

Our Neighborhood Watch continues to grow!  Keep up the good work and remember to get your neighbors in your community more involved.  Neighborhood Watch is a Crime reduction Program that does work.  

Crime Update
There is great news for our community, with the Part-1 crime rate now down 24% for the year compared to last year at this time.  There were only thirty-one Part-1 crimes in the last four weeks in the A23 Basic Car area.  The majority of these crimes are Burglary from Motor Vehicles.  There were thirteen BFMV’s that occurred on a city street or in a residential driveway and mainly between the hours of 6:00 pm to 6:00 am.  The next most popular crime is residential Burglaries, with ten in the past four weeks.  The majority of Burglaries occur during the day when most home owners are at work or out for the day.   There were only two cases of Grand Theft Auto, two Aggravated Assaults, eight random type Thefts and one Robbery, for a total of thirty-one. 

The BFMV’s are scattered all over the area with really no pattern.  The majority of the Burglaries are occurring in during the daytime in the Granada Hills area.  Please do your part and secure your vehicle, don’t leave any valuables visible inside and always lock up your home, especially during the day.  Now that the warm weather is here, I know that a lot of homeowners like to leave their windows open to air out the house during the day.  Please do not do this, as it provides an easy point of entry for burglars.  Always be aware of suspicious activity in your neighborhood and if you see a stranger and suspect them as a criminal, don’t be afraid to call 877-275-5273, that’s (877) ASK-LAPD.

Neighborhood Watch Meetings
19A23 Monthly Basic Car Meeting
2nd Wednesday of every month at 7:00 p.m.
Mission Area Community Police Station Community Room

Bermuda Senior Mobile Home Park
2nd Thursday of Every Month at 4:00 p.m.
Meet in the Mobile Home Park Social Hall

Mission Hills Neighborhood Council – MHNC@verizon.net
2nd Tuesday of every month.
San Jose St. Elementary School
14928 Clymer St. Mission Hills

Basic Car Area 19A61 North Hills and Mission Hills
Senior Lead Officer Janine Angeles
Office Phone 818-838-8946
Cell Phone 818-325-7749
E-mail Address: 30392@lapd.lacity.org

Mission Hills and North Hills West is in need of community members to join our Mission Area Community Police Advisory Board (CPAB).  The meetings provide a forum to exchange information and actively make a difference in your neighborhood.  For more information, contact Officer Richard Stocks at 818-838-9860.

Crime Update:
Our crime has decreased to -6% from 06-29-08 to 07-26-08. The following are the crime statistics: (7) aggravated assaults, (22) burglary/theft from motor vehicles, (22) burglaries, (12) grand theft autos, (3) robberies, (11) thefts and (0) homicides. The most common day for a crime to occur during this crime period is on Friday. Most of these crimes occurred between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. The most commonly stolen vehicle is the Chevrolet and the most commonly stolen model of vehicle is the truck.

Crime Tips:
If you or someone you know is parking their vehicles on the street for more than 72 hours, they are in violation of Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 80.73.2. Vehicles parked on the street must be driven a substantial distance every 72 hours! If a vehicle is not in running condition, the vehicle must be stored off public streets. It is also illegal to park your vehicle on private property without the permission of the owner. Pushing the vehicle to another location, across the street, around the block and returning it to the same location, or leaving the vehicle on the street while making repairs, does not comply with this Municipal Code.

If you no longer want a vehicle that is parked on a public street and have clear title to it, you may call 800-222-6366 prior to the vehicle being towed away, and it will be disposed of at no charge.

Please, let’s keep our streets looking clean and free of abandoned vehicles! Your neighbors will appreciate it as well!

If you have not done it yet, please sign up for “E-Policing.”  This website is available through LAPD’s Web Page www.lapdonline.org.  By signing up, you will receive any important information regarding community events, crime updates or crime alerts.

Basic Car Area 19A85 (Panorama City and North Hills East)
Senior Lead Officer Karen Reade
Office Line 818-838-9842
Cell Phone 818-422-3183
Email:  32851@lapd.lacity.org

Greetings:
Thank you to all the Panorama City residents who helped me out during National Night Out, on August 5th.  This year, the event was held at the Panorama City Recreation Center.  The event was geared towards children, and we had numerous non-profit organizations donating books, crafts, and their time.  Special thanks go out to ABC Learn, Inc., El Proyecto Child Development Services, Girl Scotts of America, Panorama Baptist Church, Rachel Olmos and her martial arts kids for their exhibition, and the staff at the Recreation Center.  Due to its success and great location, next year’s event will also be held at the same location.

Crime Trends:
Crime is still down 20%.  Although this sounds great, last month it was down 24%.  Let’s not lose our edge, and keep it up!  All Part I crimes are down (Homicide, Rape, Robbery, Assault, Grand Theft Auto, Burglary from Motor Vehicle, and Other Thefts).  The only crime which is up is Residential Burglaries.  Please remember to lock your windows and doors.  If you don’t have a dog or alarm system, get one.  If you have an alarm system, use it.

Summer is slowly coming to an end.  If your children are out of school and home alone, ensure they do not open the door to anyone, nor answer the phone and say that they are home alone.  Also, do not let them wonder out during the day.  There are many city parks with lots of activities (many of them free or for very little money) to keep them occupied and out of trouble. 

Future Events:
You are all cordially invited to LAPD’s Mission Division Annual Open House which will be held at 11121 N. Sepulveda Blvd, on Saturday, Sept. 20th, 2008, from 10:00a.m., to 3:00 p.m.

North Hills East Neighborhood Watch meetings are held at Mission Division the 4th Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Next meeting is Sept. 22nd.

Panorama City Neighborhood Watch meetings are held the 4th Tuesday of the month at the Panorama Recreation Center at 8600 Hazeltine Ave, at 7:00 p.m.

Basic Car 19A95 North Hills and Panorama City
Senior Lead Officer Shawna Green    
Cell Phone 818-634-0545
Office Phone 818-838-9845 

Welcome to 19A95 basic car newsletter for September 2008.  Hello everyone, my name is Shawna Green and I am the new Senior Lead Officer for North Hills and Panorama City.  As you might have heard, Officer Ed Dominguez was promoted and now works the K-9 Bomb Unit.  I am currently working towards meeting everyone and getting to address the issues in the area.  Now, a little bit about my background. I have been with the Los Angeles Police Department for 11 years and worked various assignments.  I previously worked this area for approximately eight years and have knowledge of the problem areas and locations.  I am looking forward to working together and helping each other in making our community safer and also improving the quality of life in this area.  

The Safer City Initiative Unit continues to address both criminal and quality of life issues in the area.  The unit will operate in North Hills and Panorama City area.  The boundaries of the unit are Nordhoff St to the north, 405 Freeway to the west, Roscoe Bl to the south, and Van Nuys Bl to the east.  SCI and Patrol have been working very hard to address any issues in the community. Please continue to give them your support.

Crime Trends
There were a total of 41 crimes committed for the period 07-20-08 through 08-16-08 in basic car 19A95.  There were 8 robberies, 3 burglaries, 4 burglaries from motor vehicles, 9 aggravated assaults, 8 grand theft autos, 8 thefts, and 1 rape.  Most of the crimes were scattered south of Nordhoff St. I will continue to direct our resources towards the high travel area of Sepulveda Bl, Langdon Av, Orion Av, Parthenia St, and Rayen St.

The hot cars most likely to be taken are Honda Civics, BMW’s, Toyota Camry, and Ford pickup trucks.  If anyone has information that will help us identify the person or persons involved in the auto thefts please give me a call.

We are still in the negative numbers for crime in the basic car.  The number one crime for the basic car this extraction period was aggravated assaults.  I encourage watching out after each other and walking with a friend at night.

Let’s make sure to secure your vehicles at all times.  I encourage using any anti-theft items for your vehicles such as alarms and wheel locks.  This prevents opportunist from taking your valuables from inside your vehicles.  I encourage you to report any suspicious activity in your community to your local police department.

Property crimes continue to be the biggest problem in the basic car.  Please remember to secure your vehicles and don’t leave any valuables in your cars.  If you have a radio that is removable, please take it with you.  When shopping at your local stores, keep your wallets and purses secured. The latest trend is GPS systems being taken from your vehicles.  Lets not give anyone a chance to break into our cars and secure those items when you are not using them.

Remember there is no excuse for domestic violence.  Talk to a friend, pastor, or your local support group for relationship problems prior to any violence.  You can always call a domestic violence hotline for referrals and assistance 24 hours a day at 1-818-887-6589.

Officers are continuing to check for any suspicious activity in your neighborhood, but they cannot be everywhere at once.  Having a neighborhood watch could actually prevent crimes from occurring. I invite all of you to participate in Project Amigo and hear your local police officers talk about crime prevention.  The new North Hills East Neighborhood Watch has been meeting on a regular basis.  Please tell a friend to come join us to hear crime prevention tips by their local police officers.

Remember to check your credit rating at least once a year for any identify theft information.  Contact your local bank, credit card, and social security office, if any discrepancies exist in your credit rating.

Traffic Problems
Speeding and jaywalking on Sepulveda Bl continues to be a problem.  Please slow down and remember to wear your seat belt at all times.  Remind your friends, neighbors, family, and especially children about the dangers of jaywalking.

Upcoming Events
Project Amigo (Spanish Speaking Neighborhood Watch)
2nd Wednesday of each month, 6:00 p.m.
15435 Rayen Street (United Methodist Church)
Next meeting is scheduled for September 10th.

Neighborhood Watch
Combined North Hills East
Last Monday of each month, 7:00 p.m.
Mission Community Police Station
Community Room
 
North Hills Coordinating Council
4th Tuesday of each month, 11:30 a.m.
Contact SLO Green for location

North Hills East Neighborhood Council Meeting
2nd Monday of every month, 7:00 p.m.
Contact SLO Green for location

Parthenia Business watch
Bi-monthly 4th Tuesday of every other month
Contact SLO Green for time and location
Mission Community Room

North Hills East Neighborhood Watch
Contact SLO Green for details

Plummer Village Tenant Watch
15450 Plummer St
Contact SLO Green for details

Please spread the word to your neighbors about Project Amigo and Neighborhood Watch.  It takes everybody to make a difference in our community!  Together we can make a difference.

Basic Car Area 19A97
Senior Lead Officer Anna-Marie Izzo
Office Phone 818-838-9844
Blackberry    818-634-0718
Email: 32458@LAPD.LACITY.ORG

Crime Update
Part-1 crime is still in the negative!  Year to Date Basic Car A97 has reported 447 Part-1 crimes –17 less than last year.  That is 94 crimes less than last year.  The following are the crime statistics from 7/13/08 to 8/9/08:  (10) aggravated assaults, (6) Burglary from Motor Vehicles, (5) Burglaries, (15) Auto Thefts (5) Robberies and   (19) misc. Thefts. (Which includes shoplifts from Wal-Mart, Rite Aid and El Super)  

Current Events 
The 5.4 earthquake on Tuesday, July 29, 30 miles outside of L.A., caused relatively little damage, but was a "shake-up" call to Los Angeles. We live in earthquake country, surrounded by active faults and seismic experts agree that there is a high probability that the Big One will hit the San Andreas Fault in the near future, causing billions of dollars in damages and claiming many lives.

Be Prepared!
After a major earthquake services such as water, gas and electricity could be down for days, and emergency services will only respond to the most life-threatening situations. Never call 911 for information, it can overload the system.

People should be confident in the City’s ability to respond, but all residents should be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours. That means storing food, water, medical supplies, radios, batteries, flashlights, and sanitary supplies and having a family emergency plan.
For information on how to be personally prepared, visit www.shakeout.org/whatyoucando.

Community Events:
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT ~ August 5th
I want to thank the Brimfield Avenue and Tilden Avenue communities for the great turn out and delicious food that was provided for the community.  It was a great opportunity for the community to promote Neighborhood Watch and Crime Prevention and to meet new neighbors and Panorama City Neighborhood Council members.

On Saturday, September 20th (1:00-3:00), Mission Area is hosting the Annual Open House.  Everyone is invited, bring the kids and come see the facility and meet the officers that patrol the neighborhood.  See you there.

Neighborhood Watch / Apartment Watch Programs

Stay Alert and Beware
Crime Prevention and Neighborhood Watch is everyone’s business.  Police Staff, a few citizens and merchants cannot do it alone. 
Did you know the safest neighborhoods are where neighbors know each other?

• Where neighbors keep each other informed about things happening in the neighborhood; especially there block.
• Where neighbors do not hesitate to call the police department to report a suspicious vehicle or person.
• Where neighbors take a vested interest in each other and their community.
• Where neighbors take the time to get together with police personnel to discuss what is occurring in their neighborhood.
• Where neighbors implement safety procedures to harden the target and discourage criminal activity.