Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Weekly Tip - Thieves Shop in Parking Lots
Vehicle burglaries are reported to local police throughout the year. However, during the holiday season, mall parking lots and parking structures are packed with vehicles that are sometimes stuffed with presents and packages. Just like presents under your family Christmas tree being an invite for a child's curiosity, your car filled with packages is an invitation for theft and auto burglary. Here are some tips to help prevent you from becoming a victim this holiday season:
•Park in well lighted areas.
•Lock your vehicle and set your alarm.
•If you must leave packages in your car, keep them out of sight. Some stores and malls offer to hold your packages while you shop. Pick all of them up when you are done shopping.
•Do NOT make multiple trips to your vehicle. Thieves watch and wait in parking lots targeting persons leaving items in their cars.
•Be aware of your surroundings! Look about and see who is around when you park.
Monday, November 28, 2011
News Release: Residential Burglary & Pursuit Lead to Arrests
Incident: Residential
Burglary and Vehicle Pursuit
Date
and Time of Release November
28, 2011 5:00 PM
On
Monday November 28, 2011at approximately 12:54 PM, Arcadia Police Officers observed
a male Hispanic exiting a side gate from a residence in the 800 Blk of Victoria
Dr. The male was carrying some property,
concealed under his jacket, as he ran to an awaiting vehicle being driven by
another suspect. The male got into the front
passenger seat and the vehicle drove away from the residence. Arcadia Police Officers attempted to pull the
vehicle over when the vehicle sped up and failed to yield.
The
suspects led police on a chase through the streets of Arcadia, San Gabriel, and
Rosemead reaching speeds up to 70 miles per hour. The suspects ended up crashing into another
vehicle in the City of Rosemead. All
three suspects were apprehended immediately after the crash. No injuries were sustained by officers or the
suspects. The driver of the other involved vehicle in the crash was transported
to a local hospital with chest pains as a precautionary measure.
Stolen
property from the residence was recovered from one of the suspect’s person as
well as from inside of the suspect vehicle.
Arrested
were:
- Raymond Jurado, male Hispanic, 42
yrs old from Baldwin Park, $50 k bail
- David Rojas, male Hispanic, 23
yrs old from El Monte, $100k bail
- Maribel Sanchez, female Hispanic,
26 yrs old from Baldwin Park, $105k bail
The
suspects are held at the Arcadia Police Department Jail charged with
residential burglary and felony evading of a police officer.
For
any questions or concerns, contact the Arcadia Police Department at
626/574-5150.
Robert
T. Guthrie, Chief of Police
By: Lieutenant Mike Castro
Refer
Case # 11-5800
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving 2011!
The Arcadia Police Department wishes everyone the best on this Thanksgiving 2011! 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!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
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!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Introducing Social Media to our Emergency Operations Center
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for the City of Arcadia was activated during a mock earthquake drill on Thursday, October 20, 2011. The drill was conducted in conjunction with the Great California ShakeOut, a statewide earthquake and preparedness drill. Participation in this type of drill is not new for the Arcadia Police Department; however, this was the first time that social media monitoring was introduced to the event.
In the event of a true emergency or disaster, it is likely there will be interruptions in traditional communications platforms, such as landline phones and even cellular service. As evidenced by actions after the Haiti and Christchurch earthquakes, community members may very well turn to alternative means of attempting to communicate with public safety and other emergency response organizations. Social media platforms, like Twitter, were widely used by those seeking aid when conventional phone lines did not work. By introducing social media platforms to our EOC operations, the Arcadia Police Department can offer our community alternative access to public safety services during a disaster or large scale emergency. This social media monitoring is in no way meant to replace 9-1-1 or standard methods of reporting to public safety, but rather, to enhance our capabilities to better serve our community.
Current staffing levels and equipment do not allow day-to-day monitoring of social media platforms by our department. This new implementation of potential monitoring will only be used during full-scale activations of our EOC. The primary mission of social media use by the Arcadia Police Department remains community engagement and information sharing, not as an immediate response means of communication. Always dial 9-1-1 to report emergencies or in-progress calls for service.
During this drill, personnel monitored two primary social media platforms: Facebook and Twitter. The Arcadia Police Department accounts on each platform were monitored, along with keyword searches for terms associated with the City of Arcadia and our agency. Other keywords dealing with community specific sites, such as Methodist Hospital, the IS 210 Freeway, and Santa Anita, were monitored and queried. Additional methods and tools were utilized for monitoring Internet traffic to include, “geo-tagged” photos and messages within our community.
The intent of this proactive social media monitoring drill was to better prepare our personnel for our response to disasters or emergencies. Although the social media engagement on behalf of our agency started a little over two years ago, this is the first application within emergency management. Through our presence online, we have been able to build a base of users within and around our community before the need arises. Some of the many benefits to social media participation within emergency management may include: the ability to proactively listen and potentially see problems before they are reported to staff, potential for additional “eyes” on a problem, the ability to assess and verify incoming information, influence rumor control, provide information such as shelters or evacuation points, and to act as an alternative reporting and communications venue.
And, it is not just social media that we have added to our tool kit in the EOC. The Arcadia Police Department also uses the instant messaging service, Nixle, to deliver messages direct to our community and beyond. Nixle allows the department to send emergency, advisory or community alert messages to the subscriber via text (SMS) and/or email. Unlike social media, this form of instant messaging is only for outbound communication, but nonetheless, a valuable tool. Nixle will be used in addition to our social media, as well as the “Alert LA County” call-back program, which targets primarily landline phones within a geographic area.
Introduction of these services to our Emergency Operations Center will only enhance and improve our service delivery in a disaster or large scale emergency. It is imperative to remember though, that public safety resources will be taxed when disaster strikes. Daily services and response times will be “out the window,” and our community must be prepared to assist themselves and one another, quite possibly without public safety assistance. Please take the time to visit online resources, such as the American Red Cross and ShakeOut, and make use of the resource information they provide.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)