Sobriety & Driver's License Checkpoints this Saturday

News Release: 11/28/12, 9:00 a.m.
Incident: Sobriety & Driver’s License Checkpoint

The Arcadia Police Department Traffic Bureau will be conducting sobriety checkpoints at multiple locations within the city on Saturday, December 1st, 2012. We would like to remind the public of the dangers associated with drinking and driving. It simply is not worth it to drive while impaired. Give the gift of life this holiday season and celebrate responsibly. Use sober designated drivers and remember, “Friends don’t let friend’s drive while impaired.”

Jan’s Towing provides a no cost “Don’t Drive Drunk” detour program, 365 days a year, and will provide a free lift home for drivers and their vehicles up to 7 miles in their service area. Call (626) 334-1383 for more information.

Don’t forget to visit the Arcadia Police Department News & Information Blog or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Nixle for other pertinent news and information.

Remember, the solution begins with you!

Robert T. Guthrie, Chief of Police

By: Brett Bourgeous, Traffic Sergeant

(626) 574-5475

Weekly Activity Highlights for November 18-24, 2012

http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/docs/weekly_11.18.12.pdf

Weekly Tip - Preventing Package Theft

Have you ordered Christmas presents over the phone, via the Internet, or by mail? Chances are that those packages will be delivered straight to your front porch. The majority of deliveries do not require a signature and are generally left at your door, even if no one is home to accept them. This time of year brings out those looking for a crime of opportunity as well as those thieves that actually target your delivery. Thieves will follow or watch for the UPS, Fed Ex or other delivery trucks and then target a home after a delivery is made.

Here are some suggestions for helping to prevent a theft of your packages:

• Use your workplace as the shipping address.
• Track your shipments by phone or on-line so you know what day they should arrive.
• Ask you neighbor to watch for your delivery and then hold the items until you arrive home.
• Keep an eye on your neighborhood and report suspicious persons and vehicles sitting or cruising the area.
• Request a signature delivery option, if available.
• Have the shipment be held at the shipping facility such as a UPS office.
• Utilize a "mailbox" businesses in your town and see if they will accept shipment of your item for a fee.
• If you do not receive your shipment on time, check with the company of origin and confirm the delivery. If the item was delivered and you did not receive it, then report the theft or loss to the original company, the shipping company, and your local police.

Weekly Activity Highlights - November 11-17, 2012

http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/docs/weekly_11.11.12.pdf

Black Friday = Traffic!

Happy Thanksgiving 2012!

The Arcadia Police Department wishes everyone the best on this Thanksgiving 2012! Enjoy a safe holiday with family and friends. And, a special thanks to all the public safety members at work today - be safe, and know that we are thankful for all of you!

Weekly Tip - Tis the Season...Don't Become a Victim!

With "Black Friday" upon us, tis the season for thieves to be looking for an easy target. Shoppers everywhere will be crowding stores and check-out counters in search of grabbing bargains and deals. But just as you may be shopping for a gift, the bad guys (and gals) may be shopping for your wallet, credit & debit cards, car keys, or your recently purchased treasures. What can you do to help protect yourself?

Start by shopping smart. Always be aware of your surroundings and who is near you. Don't become so engrossed in your shopping or check-out that you fail to see the person sliding up next to you or your cart. Never leave your purse or purchased items unattended in a cart, on a counter, or at a table...not even for "just a minute." Thieves will look for easy targets and persons who may be inattentive to their belongings. That open purse or wallet next to you while you are making your purchase is an invitation for theft.

Be mindful of your personal space. If you are "bumped" on the side or someone just happens to slide up close to you, check your wallet or purse and make sure that you have not become the target of a thief.

Watch your cards! Credit, debit, charge cards are easily "skimmed" by use of portable devices meant to quickly capture your card information. Your information can be later transferred to a magnetic strip on a different card and used for theft. The employee should be sliding your card right in front of you. If there is a need to move to a different register, go with them.

Keep an eye on your accounts. Check your balances and statements often. Watch for any unauthorized activity and report it immediately if discovered.

Don't leave valuable items in your vehicle. Do your best not to use your car as a storage compartment. Thieves will target persons who load up their vehicle and then walk away. Keep any items out of plain sight.

Tis the season for celebrations, not for becoming the unfortunate victim of theft. Do what you can to help prevent a crime before it happens! Don't become a victim!

Weekly Tip - Power Outage Preparation

Most power outages are for relatively short periods of time and have minimal impact on our lives.  But even a power outage lasting a few hours can cause a great deal of disruption in our activity.  The Red Cross has developed a Power Outage Checklist with excellent advice and steps to take not only during an outage, but steps to take ahead of time to prepare for an outage.  Take a look at the Red Cross Power Outage Checklist today!

 

Southern California Edison is also a great resource for valuable information regarding power outages. In the event of an outage, you can report the event to SCE at (800)611-1911, or through an online link at The Outage Center.  SCE also provides an interactive map of current and planned outages on the page as well.

Road Closures for 59th Annual Festival of Bands

The City of Arcadia is hosting the 59th Annual Festival of Bands Parade on Saturday, November 17, 2012. Dozens of high school bands will compete in this prestigious event. There will be a number of street closures associated with the event that will impact vehicular travel. The parade will take place on Baldwin Avenue and Duarte Road in Arcadia on Saturday, November 17, 2012. Street closures will be as follows:

 Baldwin Avenue between Huntington Drive and Naomi Avenue – CLOSED for vehicular traffic from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

 Duarte Road between Golden West and El Monte Avenue – CLOSED of vehicular traffic from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

 Campus Drive between Santa Anita Avenue and Holly Avenue – CLOSED from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

There will be no street parking in the above parade areas on November 17, 2012 between 6:00 AM and 1:00 PM. There will be no parking on Campus Drive through 5:00 PM. Temporary No Parking signs will be posted. Vehicles parked in violation will be towed.

Residents living south of Huntington Drive, north of Duarte Road, east of Baldwin Ave, and west of Holly Ave are asked to use the intersection of La Cadena and Huntington Drive as the primary entrance and exit from the area. Other residents will be allowed into the surrounding areas with proof of residency.

If you need access to businesses on the south side of Duarte Road inside the closure, please approach from Longden Avenue by travelling north on either Holly Avenue (east of Baldwin) or Golden West Avenue (west of Baldwin).

For further information, contact Lieutenant Bob Anderson at (626) 574-5156.

Veterans Day 2012

We salute and give thanks to those who have served our Nation. And, a special nod of gratitude to those members of the Arcadia Police Department, past and present, who have committed themselves not only to the City of Arcadia, but to our Nation in military service.

Weekly Activity Highlights for October 28 - November 3, 2012

http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/docs/weekly_10.28.12.pdf

Weekly Tip - Minimize Theft at the Gym

The gym is a great place to shed pounds and lessen the stress of your day, but it is also a place where thieves land in order to fulfil their goal to rip you off. A past tip on auto burglary prevention reminded you not to leave valuables in your car and items in plain sight, but you must also be alert when inside the gym.

Use a good quality lock and choose a locker in the open that is visible to the room if you choose to bring items inside. Always double check that the lock is secure.  If possible, leave what you can at home. Try using a lanyard to hang a minimal set of keys and your ID around your neck, forgoing the use of a locker. Use clothing with zippered pockets as an alternative to lessen the chance of items falling out. Bottom line, minimize your exposure to the chance of loss and becoming a victim. Be alert and pay attention.

2001 Arcadia Homicide Results in Murder Warrant and Arrest Nov. 4, 2012 of Husband - LASD Homicide & Arcadia PD

Adapated from LASD News Release:

2001 Arcadia Homicide Results in Murder Warrant and Arrest Nov. 4, 2012 of Husband - LASD Homicide & Arcadia PD

Charlotte S. Cole, a resident of Arcadia, was 50 years old when she was stabbed multiple times and brutally murdered behind a restaurant on the 50 block of Las Tunas Drive in the City of Arcadia, on September 1, 2001.

Homicide Detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were called in and took the lead in the investigation with Arcadia Police Detectives.

Although there were no initial arrests, Charlotte’s then husband, Richard Keith Cole, was a person of interest in the case. The case remained open, but went cold for about a decade.

Cold Case Detectives from the Sheriff’s Department worked in conjunction with Arcadia Police Detectives and revisited the case in 2011, serving a search warrant at Richard Keith Cole’s new residence in Arcadia. Evidence was gathered and Cole was initially arrested for the murder on April 28, 2011, but was soon released pending further investigation.

Over the course of the past year, additional evidence was gathered, leading to charges being filed against Richard Keith Cole by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for the murder of his former wife, Charlotte S. Cole.

A murder warrant with a bail of one million dollars was issued for Suspect Cole’s arrest.

Sunday, November 4, 2012, at about noon, Suspect Cole, now 72 years old, was found at a restaurant in the City of Pasadena and was taken into custody by Sheriff’s Detectives. Suspect Cole was transported to a local hospital for medical clearance and was then booked at the Arcadia City Jail on the warrant, with plans to transfer him to the Los Angeles County jail.

2004 News Release seeking information about the homicide of Charlotte S. Cole - Arcadia Police Department

http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/docs/reward4.pdf

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau Detective Sergeant Steve Davis or Detective Joe Purcell (323) 890-5500. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call "Crime Stoppers" by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.

Lieutenant Wes Sutton

Homicide Bureau

Detective Division

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

323-890-5500

Bicycle Patrol Launched

The Arcadia Police Department proudly launched a bicycle patrol unit yesterday as part of the operations deployment for Breeders' Cup at the Santa Anita Race Track.  The unit development was spearheaded by two of our detectives who have an interest in mountain biking and cycling.  At the direction of the department, they researched and contributed greatly to the molding of the program and procurement of the equipment.  Through some private donations and assistance of both Helen's Cycles and Rusnak here in Arcadia, the cost to begin the program was minimal.

The bike program will be staffed by APD personnel as an ancillary duty to there daily assignments and will consist of four, fully outfitted police bikes.  The use of bicycles instead of cars can make our police officers more easily approachable, will enhance the mobility and range of foot patrols, and the bicycles will be effective crime-fighting tools when used in densely populated or congested areas. The bikes are nearly silent in operation and many criminals do not realize that an approaching person on a bike is actually a police officer. Furthermore, if the criminal attempts to flee on foot, the riding police officer has a speed advantage while able to quickly dismount if necessary.

The Arcadia Police Department looks forward to utilizing the bike patrols throughout the year, not only enforcement details, but for deployment at many special events held here in Arcadia as well.

Daylight Saving Time Ends Tonight

Tomorrow (Sunday) marks the end of daylight saving time.  Be sure to set your clocks back one hour before you go to bed.  Take advantage of the extra hour sleep!  At 2:00 a.m. tonight, we will be back on Pacific Standard Time.

This is also a great time to replace the batteries on your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.  Test them to make sure they are in working order!  Keep your family safe and use the opportunity to review your home evacuation and emergency plan.

APD has an App for that!

The Arcadia Police Department is proud to partner with MyPD in order to provide a user friendly smart phone application linking you to our services and information. Yes, we have an app for that!

The app is available for download to both iPhones and Androids. Some of the features include contact information and one button dialing, links to our social platforms, push notifications for messaging, tip and commendation submission forms, question and feedback links, ability to report quality of life issues, sex registrant info, and more. Best of all - the app is free to the public!

Whether a resident, business owner, or a visitor to our community, you will benefit from the use of the Arcadia Police Department's MyPD app.

Visit the My Police Department website for additional information and to download our MyPD app, or click on the icon below.

Still have a text only phone?  Not to worry!  Text either of the Arcadia zip codes, 91006 or 91007, to 888777, and you will enroll in our Nixle emergency alert platform.

Weekly Activity Highlights for October 21 - 27, 2012

http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/docs/weekly_10.21.12.pdf