Weekly Activity Highlights for January 21 - 27, 2018

https://www.arcadiaca.gov/home/showdocument?id=15271

Weekly Tip - Look, Listen, and Live!

The Metro Gold Line has been up and running for some time now in Arcadia. Motorists and pedestrians are becoming accustomed to the trains and crossings, but it is always good to take a look at safety reminders!

Here are some safety tips from Metro: 

• Use designated crossing areas and wait for the walk/crossing signal.
• If the gates are down, do not attempt to go around them, it’s against the law and unsafe.
• If a train is coming, be sure to stay behind the yellow warning stripes.
• Always stop, look, and listen for trains before crossing the tracks, and be sure to look both ways.
• Never race a train to a crossing.
• Never climb railroad vehicles or walk on the tracks.
• Before starting across the tracks, be sure there’s room for your vehicle to get completely across.

Both Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies and Arcadia Police Officers will be actively enforcing traffic laws at all grade crossings and Gold Line Stations.

We have seen both pedestrian and vehicle vs. train collisions here in Los Angeles County and in the vast majority of collisions...the train wins! Saving a minute is not worth your life, or the life of someone else. Practice good safety and obey the laws pertaining to grade crossings. Look, Listen, and Live!

Bad Guys Don't Sleep - Be Aware of Area Hot Prowl Burglaries

Residential burglary prevention continues to be a focus of the Arcadia Police Department. While Officers have made some recent daytime residential burglary arrests, the Department has also responded to reports of residential burglary occurring overnight. We refer to these crimes as Hot Prowl Burglaries. These crimes have happened while folks are home and asleep. In one instance, a victim woke up to a light being turned on in the home, and in a different case, the suspects attempted to force entry through a rear sliding glass door. The majority of residential burglary crimes in town occur during the day, however, due to these overnight instances, the Department will be deploying extra Officers on the streets during nighttime hours.

One of the most important pieces of this crime prevention puzzle is the resident. It is very important to discourage the would-be thief and make their job as difficult, time-consuming, and as noisy as possible.

Here are a few quick tips to help keep your home safe:

•Close and lock your windows and doors! Thieves look for an easy target.


•Lock your garage door. Thefts from garages are common and it offers ready access to pry tools.


•Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed so that windows and doors are visible.


•Maintain your home and make it looked lived in. Arrange for care if you leave on vacation.


•Don't leave newspapers, mail and door hanger materials in place. Arrange for a trusted friend or neighbor to collect these items for you.


•Know your neighbors! Be familiar with cars, faces and who belongs in your neighborhood.


•Leave different lights on when you leave. Use timers when gone overnight.


•How about a radio with a talk show station tuned in when you are gone?


•Use window stops/pins to prevent windows and sliding doors from being opened.


•Maintain lists of account numbers, valuable item serial numbers, and important phone numbers. Duplicate the list and maintain a copy elsewhere. Video or photo your belongings. This aids in property recovery as well as insurance replacement.


•Get and use an ALARM. Even simple alarms that are not connected to a central system are a deterrent.


•Ask and look for helpful tips. Your local police agency will usually offer home inspections and there are plenty of websites that offer prevention tips and ideas.


•Watch for and REPORT suspicious persons and activity. Most arrests that are made for burglary are not from a report by an alarm company, but rather from a local resident. If you see someone that does not belong in your neighborhood or on a neighbor's property, call the police.

Weekly Activity Highlights for January 14 - 20, 2018

https://www.arcadiaca.gov/home/showdocument?id=15247

Weekly Tip - Dealing with a Collision

Traffic collisions can be stressful and confusing. Take the time to be prepared ahead of time so that collecting information accurately and completely will be easy. Check with your insurance agent or a local body shop, sometimes they will supply you with a pre-printed check list that you can keep in your glove box. Another resource is the DMV. There is a page devoted to collision information, including reporting requirements to the State. See the DMV page HERE.

The first thing to do is to check for injuries to you or any other involved driver or passenger. If someone is injured, call 9-1-1 and report the collision immediately. If there are injuries that require medical attention, leave the vehicles in place until police and fire personnel arrive.

If no one is hurt and the vehicles are able to be moved, remove them from the roadway. Pull to the side of the road, into a parking lot, or on to a side street - out of traffic. Evaluate the damage and if there is substantial damage or injury, the police should be called to the scene. If the damage is minor and no one is injured, exchanging information between drivers is acceptable. Most drivers believe that a police report is always required. This is NOT the case and some agencies will not even respond to minor collisions. Absent prosecution for major collisions, death, hit and run, unlicensed drivers etc, the police report is simply paperwork for the insurance companies.

When exchanging information, record the following:

•Date, time and location of the collision

•Name, address and phone numbers of all drivers and passengers

•Drivers license numbers for involved drivers

•Insurance company name, policy number and policy holder for all drivers or vehicles

•Complete vehicle information of involved vehicles to include license number, make, model, color, description such as pick-up, four-door etc and name of registered owner if different

•Description of any damage

•Photographs of damage, or lack there of, other parties and scene if safe to do so

•Note lane position of each vehicle and where the vehicles were prior to and at time of collision

•Note any unusual conditions such as inoperative lights, vision obstruction

•Note/photograph any physical evidence like skids or debris resulting from collision

Remember, you must carry with you and present to a police officer, your driver's license, proof of insurance and current vehicle registration when stopped by an officer or involved in a collision.

In California, it is a crime to not stop if you are involved in a traffic collision.  As mentioned above, usually traffic collisions are just paperwork for insurance companies.  When you fail to stop when involved in a collision, you can be charged criminally.  The fact that you don't have a valid driver's license or current auto insurance is not worth being charged with a Hit-and-Run. 

Be safe, slow down, and wear your seat belt!!

Probation Complete!

Three of our Officers were recognized by City Council last week for completing their probationary assignments here at APD. This is a big step in a young career which we mark with a ceremonial badge pinning. Pictured from left to right; Chief Bob Guthrie, Officers John Mc Donnell, Evelyn Calderon, Nick Cvetkovich, Captains Larry Goodman and Paul Foley.

Weekly Activity Highlights for January 7 - 13, 2018

https://www.arcadiaca.gov/home/showdocument?id=15231