National Night Out 2012

National Night Out is fast approaching and we wanted to let everyone know a bit about the night and how it will be celebrated here in Arcadia. Celebrating it’s 29th year, National Night Out is a unique crime and drug prevention event that is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. This year the date for National Night Out is Tuesday, August 7, 2012 and here is what it is designed to do:

• Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness;

• Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs;

• Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and

• Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

This is Americas night out against crime! The City of Arcadia will be celebrating National Night Out on Thursday, August 2, 2012 and it will be in conjunction the Arcadia Summer Concert on the lawn series. Please stop by and show your support for Arcadia’s Police and Fire Departments who will be in attendance for this very special occasion. Free fingerprinting for the kids, crime prevention materials and other information will be available.  Last year over 37 million people, from 15,000 communities in all 50 states participated in this nationwide event.

Arcadia City Hall

240 West Huntington Drive

Thursday, August 2, 2012

6:30 p.m.

Weekly Activity Highlights for July 15-21, 2012

http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/docs/weekly_7.15.12.pdf

Weekly Tip - "Make the Call...Stay Anonymous"

Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers was formed to give the Community an opportunity to pass on timely, relevant, and anonymous tips to local Law Enforcement.  Tips from you help in the fight to reduce crime and greatly enhance our ability to obtain information on suspects, potential threats to public safety, and to help prevent crime before it happens.  Below are some impressive statistics for LA Crime Stoppers.  The stats are through July 1, 2012.

Tips Received	20,427
Arrests Made	945
Homicides Solved	11
Weapons Recovered	84
Property Recovered	$362,828
Drugs Seized	$4,029,940

People are sometimes reluctant to contact the police and may shy away from reporting information for fear of retaliation.  Crime Stoppers gives you the opportunity to deliver tips anonymously while still making a difference in the fight on crime.  Tips can be made by phone, by text, or from the Internet.  Anyone submitting a tip is eligible to receive a cash reward if the information given leads to an arrest or criminal filing of a felony or misdemeanor offender.  The toll-free phone number to LA Crime Stoppers is (800) 222-TIPS.

The Arcadia Police Department is proud to be one of the numerous area police agencies participating in the Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers program.

Honor for Slain Officer Albert E. Matthies

Members of the Arcadia Police and Fire Associations honored slain Arcadia Police Officer Albert E. Matthies yesterday with the reveal of a new headstone at Matthies' gravesite.  Family members, to include Officer Matthies' daughter, Zora Kristufek, her daughter Roxanna Perez, and her granddaughter Sheryl Straub, were all in attendance.  Two former Arcadia Police Chiefs, Neal Johnson and Bob Sanderson, joined current Police and Fire Cheifs Bob Guthrie and Tony Trabbie, Arcadia Mayor Bob Harbicht, City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto, members of the police and fire departments, and others, to mark this 85th anniversary of Officer Matthies death.

APOA member, Officer Daniel Tea, spearheaded the project and was honored to assist Zora at the ceremony (pictured below).  Zora was only 6 years old at the time of her father's murder in 1927.  Officer Matthies also served as the Assistant Fire Chief during his tenure.  During this period, the police and fire departments were joined as a single agency in Arcadia.

Live Oak Memorial Park played a key role in assisting the APOA and AFFA in making this honor possible.  Live Oak Memorial Park is located in Monrovia and is where Officer Matthies was laid to rest.

In Remembrance of Arcadia Police Officer Albert E. Matthies

Today is the 85th anniversary of the murder of Arcadia Police Officer Albert E. Matthies, the only Arcadia Police Officer to be killed in the line of duty. Officer Matthies was shot while detaining three young men near the intersection of Northview and Foothill in north Arcadia on July 18, 1927, shortly before midnight. Officer Matthies came upon the men inside a vehicle parked on Northview. Officer Matthies was unaware that the men were preparing to conduct a robbery at a business nearby. The rear seat passenger was Frank Miller. Miller pulled out a .45 cal handgun and shot at Matthies, striking him in the neck. Matthies later died from the gunshot wound at 12:07 AM on July 19, 1927.

Leo Bertolina, a friend of Matthies, was riding along that night in the police car. Bertolina was able to scramble away after being shot at and hit with flying glass from windows being struck by gunfire. Bertolina telephoned for additional police assistance. The trio of suspects got away that night but were later apprehended in Los Angeles within days. The three suspects were later convicted of the murder of Officer Matthies and sentenced to prison. The shooter died in prison. The two accomplices were later paroled and died shortly after release.

The murder of Officer Matthies is memorialized at the following locations:

•Plaque memorial at Foothill Blvd/Northview Ave, Arcadia CA. Northview Avenue has been co-named Albert Matthies Way in honor of Officer Matthies.

•Los Angeles County Peace Officers Memorial, Whittier CA

•California Peace Officers Memorial, Sacramento CA

•National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, Washington DC

•Officer Down Memorial Page

The Arcadia Police Officers' Association will honor the memory of Officer Matthies by placing a new headstone at the gravesite of Officer Matthies later today.  Please join us in honoring the memory of this Arcadia hero.

Activity Highlights for July 8-14, 2012

http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/docs/weekly_7.8.12.pdf

Weekly Tip - Look Before You Lock!

Parents and caregivers are urged to take a few simple steps to never run the risk of losing a child to heatstroke, because kids in hot cars are a deadly combination.  Even in cooler outside temps, the temperature inside a vehicle can rise quickly.  Use these tips for your children and even your pets.

• Never leave infants or young children unattended in a vehicle, even if you leave the windows partly open or the air conditioning on. Remember, it’s against the law to leave a child unattended in a vehicle in many states. But most important, you run the risk of losing a child to heatstroke because kids are much more sensitive to rising temperatures than adults.

• A NHTSA review indicates many of these deaths come from parents or caregivers accidentally leaving their infants in the car. So do things to remind yourself that a child is in the vehicle, such as: writing yourself a note and putting the note where you will see it when you leave the vehicle; placing your purse, briefcase or something else you need in the back seat so that you will have to check the back seat when you leave the vehicle; or keeping a familiar object in your car’s safety seat, such as a stuffed toy. After the child is buckled in, place the object where the driver will notice it when he or she is leaving the vehicle, and always remember their child.

• If you are dropping your child off at childcare, and it’s normally your spouse, partner or caregiver who drops them off, have them call you to make sure the drop off went according to plan.

• Set a reminder on your cell phone or calendar to alert you to be sure you dropped your child off at day care. You can also download the Baby Reminder App for iPhones.

• Have a plan with your childcare provider so they will call you if your child does not show up for childcare by a certain time.

• Never let children play in an unattended vehicle. Teach them a vehicle is not a play area.

• Always lock your vehicle doors and trunk and keep the keys out of a child’s reach. If a child is missing, quickly check all vehicles, including the trunk.

• If you see a child alone in a hot vehicle, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. If they are in distress due to heat, get them out as quickly as possible. Cool the child rapidly (not an ice bath but by spraying them with cool water or with a garden hose).

• Remember: kids in hot cars are a deadly combination. Don’t take the chance.

Additional Resources:

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - www.safercar.gov/heatstroke
• San Francisco State University, Department of Geosciences - www.ggweather.com/heat/index.htm
• Safe Kids - http://www.safekids.org/
• Kids and Cars - http://www.kidsandcars.org/
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia - http://www.chop.edu/

Thanks to NHTSA for providing these valuable tips.

Weekly Activity Highlights for July 1-7, 2012

http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/docs/weekly_report_07_01-07_07.pdf

Weekly Tip - See Something Suspicious, Call the Police!

The Arcadia Police Department serves a population of approximately 55,000 residents, numerous business and commercial locations, all within about 11 square miles. As expected, the men and women of the department cannot actively police every square inch of our city at all times. Therefore, more often than not, residents and visitors serve as the eyes and ears for our dispatchers and officers.

Having a large residential community, it is not surprising that some of our most frequent calls for service involve property theft or residential burglary.  In most cases, a residential burglary begins with some type of suspicious activity within a neighborhood, often in broad daylight. This activity may range from unknown persons in vehicles perusing the area, to individuals going door to door, determining whether or not residents are home. These individuals will most likely have a driver waiting for them for a quick getaway in case someone begins to question their actions.

The best way to decrease residential burglaries is to prevent them from occurring in the first place.  Give criminals the message if they are in our neighborhoods, and about to commit a crime, they are being watched – not ignored – through a joint effort by our residents and the police department.

If you witness suspicious activity in your neighborhood, or see something that doesn’t sit right with you, do not simply draw the blinds and turn away; please pick up the phone and call our department’s non-emergency dispatch number at (626) 574-5123 – available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Of course, if you witness a crime in progress or have an emergency, always remember to dial 9-1-1.

Neighborhood crime prevention neither begins, nor ends, with a burning porch light. As members of a greater community, we are all responsible for its protection, as safety does not simply end at a property line. Get to know your neighbors and your neighborhood, remain alert, and never hesitate to call our police department. Do not simply assume someone else has called the police - three calls received are better than no calls at all.

Weekly Tip - Enjoy a Safe 4th of July!

The Arcadia Police Department would like to wish everyone a safe and fun 4th of July!  Please celebrate responsibly and remember - ALL FIREWORKS are PROHIBITED in the City of Arcadia.  The best and safest source of 4th of July entertainment can be found a professional fireworks show.  HERE is a list of shows throughout Los Angeles County.

Special note to parents regarding illegal fireworks:

If your child had any fireworks prior to June 28th, the items are probably illegal and dangerous and should be turned over to your fire department or local police agency!

It is against the law to use, possess, store or sell “illegal fireworks”. State law provides for a fine of at least $500 and/or a year in jail upon conviction for violating fireworks laws. Some violations are a felony! Fireworks cause many burns, injuries and fires. Violators can be held responsible for damages, as well as having to pay a fine and/or go to jail. 

Parents are liable for any damage or injuries caused by their children using fireworks. Illegal fireworks will not have the “Safe and Sane” seal like the one pictured in this link, 

http://fire.lacounty.gov/PressRoom/PDFs/fw_english.pdf 

ILLEGAL FIREWORKS: Any item that explodes, rises in the air or moves about the ground or any fireworks which is not approved and labeled “Safe and Sane” by the State Fire Marshal, is illegal in California. The following are examples of illegal fireworks and should not be used. 

• Sky Rockets 
• Bottle Rockets 
• Roman Candles 
• Sky Rockets/ Mortars 
• M-100 M-80 
• Cherry Bombs Palomitas 
• Fire Crackers Helicopters 

Weekly Activity Highlights for June 24-30, 2012

http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/docs/weekly_6.24.12.pdf

Full Closure Eastbound IS 210 Tonight, July 2

http://local.nixle.com/alert/4849735/