Weekly Tip - Join Us on Nextdoor: an Organic, Virtual Neighborhood Watch & more!

Interested in connecting with you neighbors, exchanging ideas and sharing information? We have a great way for you to do just that!

The City of Arcadia has a long history of encouraging neighborhood interaction and communication. We believe that knowing the people who live near us makes for stronger neighborhoods, and oftentimes results in cherished friendships. The way we communicate with our family, friends, and neighbors has changed significantly in recent years with the increasing popularity of social media. One social network you may want to take a look at is Nextdoor.com. Nextdoor.com is a private network that posters communication between neighbors. Participation is free. Discussion topics can range from information sharing to notices about local events and school activities, contractor recommendations, disaster preparedness, crime prevention, lost pets and…what would you like to talk about? Neighborhoods establish and manage their own Nextdoor website. The information shared on each Nextdoor site is visible only to the members who live in the neighborhood and have verified their address.

How does Nextdoor work?

Nextdoor allows neighbors to create a private website for their neighborhood. On Nextdoor, members can find neighbors in the directory, view a neighborhood map, ask for advice, exchange local recommendations, and share neighborhood information with each other. Residents can choose to see and respond to updates via e-mail, or only on the website.

How much does Nextdoor cost?

There is no charge for an Arcadia resident to participate in their neighborhood site.

How is Nextdoor different from a neighborhood mailing list?

Nextdoor is designed for the specific communication needs of a neighborhood. For example, Nextdoor websites include a neighborhood map and directory, and a catalogued list of recommendations for local services. Members can choose to receive e-mails about each new post, see everything in a daily digest, or turn off e-mails and check the website for new posts from neighbors.

What is the City’s involvement in Nextdoor?

The City will have the ability to post information on an Arcadia neighborhood site; however; the City cannot view discussions that take place outside of those related to the City post. Information the City will share with neighborhoods – individually or collectively – might include that relate area street projects, event announcements, crime prevention and safety tips, and emergency bulletins.

How do I get started?

Go to Nextdoor.com and put in your address to see if your neighborhood is already established. If not, define your neighborhood, invite your neighbors to the group, and get the discussion going! The website includes step-by-step instructions for getting started – it’s easy! Please note that for optimal participation and success, it is recommended that your neighborhood have between 250 and 2,500 properties.

If you have any questions about the City’s participation in Nextdoor, please call Sgt. Tom Le Veque at 626.574.5163, or Linda Garcia, Special Projects Manager, at 626.574.5401.

 https://nextdoor.com/

Follow Nextdoor on Twitter @Nextdoor or like them on Facebook.

Weekly Activity Highlights for September 15 - 21, 2013

http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/docs/weekly_9.15.13.pdf

UPDATE: Monrovia Man Charged in Area Threats Cases - LA Co DA News Release

UPDATE: 

(News Release - Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office)

Monrovia Man Charged with Making Series of Threatening Calls

A 26-year-old man with a history of making false bomb threats was charged today with multiple counts of making criminal threats and falsely reporting an emergency, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.

Gerardo Cortez (dob 8-20-87) is scheduled to be arraigned sometime after 1:30 p.m. at Los Angeles Superior Court, West Covina Branch, in Department 4. Prosecutors will ask that his bail be set at $300,000.

Cortez is charged in case No. KA103202 with six counts of making criminal threats and five counts of falsely reporting an emergency. The complaint also alleges Cortez has a prior conviction of falsely reporting a bomb to an agency or business.

Deputy District Attorney Sean Carney with the Target Crimes Division is prosecuting the case.

Cortez allegedly made a series of threatening phone calls over several days beginning on Sept. 9 to schools, a medical center, a mall and a police agency. The calls forced searches in several communities.

Police departments of the cities of Arcadia, Covina and Monrovia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s investigators from Temple Station, Major Crimes Bureau, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force launched a joint investigation which resulted to the suspect’s arrest.

# # #

About the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office

Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey leads the largest local prosecutorial office in the nation. Her staff of nearly 1,000 attorneys, 300 investigators and 800 support staff members is dedicated to seeking justice for victims of crime and enhancing public safety. Annually, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office prosecutes more than 60,000 felonies and 140,000 misdemeanor crimes.

  

CONTACT:

Jane Robison

Public Information Officer

Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office

Sept. 19, 2013

Original APD Post:  http://arcadiapolice.blogspot.com/2013/09/joint-agency-news-release-monrovia-man.html

Tree Trimming Distraction Burglary Warning

Tree Trimming Distraction
Date / Time: Saturday, 9/14/2013 at 2:00 pm

Location: 1000 block San Carlos Rd, Arcadia

Suspect 1: Male Hispanic Adult / 5’7” ‐ 5’9”
Unknown age

Suspect Vehicle: Ford pick up truck, 2dr, white,
standard cab, possibly a Ford
Ranger, unknown year

MO: Suspect 1 knocked on the front door and, as the visually‐impaired elderly victim opened the door, immediately stepped into the residence. The suspect said he recently purchased a house in the neighborhood and would be trimming the trees in the back yard. The suspect then walked through the house and attempted to open the rear door but was unsuccessful. As the victim asked the suspect to leave and threatened to call the police, the suspect exited the residence through the front door. The victim’s wife arrived later that day and noticed a card containing her social security card was missing and various containers and drawers had been disturbed. It is believed that Suspect 1 was distracting the victim while a second suspect stole the property within the residence. A second suspect was not seen.

If you have any information or similar instances, please contact Arcadia Police Department at (626) 574‐5150, reference case #13-4365.

Created by: Kristin Anderson, Crime Analyst

Arcadia Elks Honor Local Public Safety

The Arcadia Elks Lodge 2025 honored local police, fire, and sheriff personnel at their annual appreciation luncheon today.  In attendance were members from the Arcadia and Sierra Madre Police Departments, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department - Temple Station, and the Arcadia and Sierra Madre Fire Departments. Representatives from each agency were presented with a charitable donation from the Elks during the luncheon. Chief Bob Guthrie accepted the check on behalf of APD.

We wanted to take a moment and thank the members of Lodge 2025 for the honor, the luncheon, and their continued support of each of the agencies. This is a great event that has been a long standing tradition for our local Arcadia Elks. Thanks again from the men and women of APD.

Weekly Tip - See Something, Say Something!

The Arcadia Police Department serves a population of approximately 57,000 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.

Joint Agency News Release: Monrovia Man Arrested for Making Threats to Area Schools and Hospitals

Suspect in San Gabriel Valley Schools & Hospital Threats Arrested by 5-Agency Team

A five-agency effort to investigate recent threats to a hospital, a mall, and school campuses in the San Gabriel Valley was successful in identifying a suspect.  He was arrested Tuesday in the city of Monrovia.

A series of phone calls last week threatening to shoot people at a hospital, a mall, and school campuses in the San Gabriel Valley resulted in numerous locations being locked down, and police officers and sheriff’s deputies searching the campuses, hospitals, mall, other buildings, and nearby communities.  Out of an abundance of caution for public safety, the schools, hospital, and mall were searched in the cities of Arcadia, Covina, Duarte, Glendora, Monrovia and West Covina. 

A five-agency effort was formed to put a stop to these threats and included investigators from the police departments of the cities of Arcadia, Covina and Monrovia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s investigators from Temple Station, Major Crimes Bureau, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Using advanced technology and investigative techniques, key information was gathered by the team, and the suspect was arrested as he left his Monrovia home about 4:00pm Tuesday, September 17, 2013.  Investigators are continuing the investigation, including serving a search warrant at his home.

26-year old Suspect Gerardo Cortez was booked at Monrovia Police Department for five counts of felony Making Criminal Threats (422 of the California Penal Code), and five counts of False Report of an Emergency  (148.3(a) California Penal Code).  This case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office by Monrovia Police Department detectives for consideration of criminal filing.   At this point his bail is set at $250,000.00 and his next court date is Thursday, September 19, 2013

All policing agencies involved in this investigation took this very seriously. The nature of these criminal threats brought tremendous fear to students, faculty, parents, patients, and the community.  It also drew a significant amount of policing resources away from other legitimate purposes.  Incidents such as these will continue to be handled in a serious manner.

The incidents that led to this arrest was the caller said he had an AK-47 and threatened to shoot people at the following locations:

Covina:  A call was made referencing “Citrus Medical Center:” (there is no hospital by that exact name)  On Monday, Sept. 9, the threatening call was made to the Covina Police Department.  Covina Police Dept. officers searched Intercommunity Hospital in Covina.  West Covina Police Dept. officers searched Queen of the Valley of the Valley Hospital and East San Gabriel Valley Hospice in the City of West Covina.  Glendora Police Dept. officers searched Foothill Presbyterian Hospital in the Glendora.

Monrovia: A call was made referencing Sante Fe Middle School:  On Monday, Sept. 9.  the threatening call was made to the Monrovia Police Department.

Arcadia:  Santa Anita Mall:  Tues, Sept 10: Arcadia Police Department News Release http://local.nixle.com/alert/5063996/

Duarte:  Duarte High School: Tues, Sept. 10: LASD Temple Sheriff’s Station News Release http://nixle.com/alert/5060862/

Arcadia:  Arcadia High School: Thurs, Sept 12: Arcadia Police Department News Release http://local.nixle.com/alert/5063996/

Anyone with information regarding these incidents that may be of assistance to investigators please contact the Monrovia Police Department at 626-256-8041.  Or if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org 

Local policing agencies have been conducting drills with school administrators and students to help ensure campus safety through the County of Los Angeles.   For information about how parents, school administrators and law enforcement are working together to maximize campus safety refer to the booklet:

Standing Up For School Safety handbook

http://file.lacounty.gov/lasd/cms1_198892.pdf

Joint News Release:

Arcadia Police Department

Covina Police Department

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Monrovia Police Department

Forwarded by:

Captain Mike Parker

Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

323-267-4800

Here are links to the APD News Releases for each event:

Westfield Santa Anita Mall http://arcadiapolice.blogspot.com/2013/09/news-release-threats-to-westfield-santa.html

Arcadia High School Lockdown http://arcadiapolice.blogspot.com/2013/09/news-release-arcadia-high-school.html

News Release: Threats to Westfield Santa Anita Mall (Orig Release on Sept 10, 2013)

Incident:  13- 4300 / Penal Code 422(a) – Threats to Commit Crime Resulting in Death or Great Bodily Injury

Contact:  Detective Bureau, (626) 574-5160

Date / Time of Press Release:  September 10, 2013 / 11:00 PM

On September 10, 2013 at 7:30 PM, an unknown male caller phoned Security at Westfield Santa Anita (Mall), 400 South Baldwin Avenue, stating he was armed with an AK-47.  The caller also stated he was going to enter the mall and shoot people.  Officers from the Arcadia Police Department responded, and with the help of Pasadena Police Department Air Bureau, began an extensive search of the parking lot, roof, and interior retail spaces. 

No perpetrator was located during these initial searches; however police presence remained at the mall providing security until closing at 9:00 PM.  With the closing of the mall, an additional search of the interior spaces was made with the help of Westfield Santa Anita Security.  This search was concluded at approximately 10:20 PM with no evidence of the caller located.

The Arcadia Police Department is investigating these threats further, and any information connected to this incident should be reported to the police immediately.

Robert T. Guthrie, Chief of Police

By: Stephen Fallavollita, Sergeant

Weekly Activity Highlights for September 8 - 14, 2013

http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/docs/weekly_9.8.13.pdf

News Release: Arcadia High School Lockdown - "Man with a Gun"

Incident:  High School Lockdown, Report of a Man with a Gun                                         

Date and Time of Release:  September 12, 2012 – 8:00 p.m.   

Contact:  Watch Commander – (626) 574-5156

On September 12, 2013 around 2:38 p.m., Arcadia Police received a phone call from an anonymous person reporting he was at Arcadia High School and he was going to start shooting students with an assault rifle.  Police officers arrived at the campus while Arcadia Unified School District officials were notified.  The school was placed on lockdown and a systematic search was conducted. During the search a second call was received.  The caller told the officers to back off or they would get shot.  The search continued and no suspects or weapons were found.  Shortly before 6:00 p.m. the lockdown was lifted and the students were escorted to the east side of the Los Angeles County Park to be reunited with family members.

The Arcadia Police Department is conducting a collaborative investigation with allied agencies and the FBI as this incident is similar to others recently occurring in the area. 

Robert T. Guthrie, Chief of Police

By: Roy Nakamura, Lieutenant

Refer Case #1304329

9-11 Remembrance 2013

Members of the Arcadia Police and Fire Departments gathered today at AFD Station 105 for a 9-11 Remembrance ceremony.  The names of each fallen Firefighter and Police Officer from 9-11 were read aloud.  There was a traditional bell ceremony and bagpipes were played in memory of the fallen. Mayor Pro Tem John Wuo and City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto also attended the ceremony.  For additional photos, please link to the APD Facebook page.

Weekly Tip - Online Crime Reporting

Did you know that the Arcadia Police Department offers you the ability to file many crime reports online?  This service allows you to file a crime report at any time of the day or night and frees up police resources that are then able to remain in the field.  In order to file a crime report online, the report must be non-emergent and must have occurred within the City of Arcadia.  The following is a list of the types of reports that will be accepted online:

• Annoying Phone Calls
• Theft
• Auto Burglary
• Identity Theft
• Vandalism
• Vehicle Tampering
• Lost Property

Link to the online report form HERE.  The reporting format is simple to use and prompts you through the information that you are required to submit.  If you have any questions while completing an online crime report, call the APD Records Section at (626) 574-5150.  Once the online report is submitted, it is reviewed by APD personnel who will contact you should there be need for clarification.  Once the online report is accepted, you will receive email notification containing an APD file number within five business days.

Never Forget!

Weekly Activity Highlights for September 1 - 7, 2013

http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/docs/weekly_9.1.13.pdf

What's your Game Plan? (PrepareSoCal & the Angels)

Service & Social Platforms for APD

While we always say, "Dial 9-1-1 for emergencies", there are many ways to engage with the Arcadia Police Department.  And if you prefer the in-person approach, our Department is located at 250 West Huntington Drive, Arcadia CA 91007, phone 626.574.5150, Information-Records hours 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily.  Please remember our social platforms are not monitored 24/7.  

APD Website (ArcadiaPD.org) *Links to all services including Parking Permits, Online Reporting, etc.                                               

Arcadia Police Department News & InformationBlog

APD Twitter(@ArcadiaPD) 

APD Facebook                                                                                   

APD Smart PhoneApp

APD Pinterest (Photo) 

APD Instagram (Photo)                                                                

APD Vine (Video)                                                                             

APD Google+                                                                                     

Nextdoor (Virtual NeighborhoodWatch)                             

Nixle (Emergency/InstantCommunication)                        

Crime Mapping (Automated Update Daily)                          

Alert LACounty                                                                                

Alert Arcadia (BlackboardConnect)

                                  

Weekly Activity Report for August 25 - 31, 2013

http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/docs/weekly_8.25.13.pdf

Curious about Crime in Arcadia?

Visit CrimeMapping.com and click on "Receive Crime Alerts"!  Arcadia and surrounding cities participate, uploading crime and report information daily.  You can receive daily emails and stay informed on current activity in your area!  (Data is uploaded during overnight hours and is usually recorded within 24 hrs.  Not all activity is reported due to victim privacy and other concerns)

Weekly Tip - Are you Prepared?

September is National Preparedness Month.  FEMA and Ready.gov will be posting excellent topics and information on preparedness throughout September.  Here is a list of themes for each week:

Week 1: Family & Kids (www.ready.gov/kids) 

Week 2: Emergency Alerts (www.ready.gov/alerts) 

Week 3: Campus preparedness (College & University preparedness www.ready.gov/campus) 

Week 4: Ready Responder (Police & Fire preparedness www.ready.gov/responder) 

Week 5: Cyber Security (www.ready.gov/cyber-attack)

Follow along on Twitter, hashtag #NATLPREP or on Facebook on the Readygov page!

Intersection Closure - 1st Avenue and Santa Clara Street

Enjoy a Safe and Happy Labor Day 2013!

Wishing everyone the best for a Safe and Happy Labor Day!