AMET and LASD; Prostitution Patrol on Horseback

Agent Bruce Smith, AMET, worked alongside the LASD Mounted Team on Friday, June 27th, along the stretch of Colorado Blvd, west of Michillinda in unincorporated Pasadena. This particular area is home to a number of motels where known prostitutes frequent. The problem spreads into Arcadia and the LASD Team invited our participation. Mounted Officers and several patrol units saturated the area detaining numerous persons throughout the evening. The SGVN CrimeScene and CBS2/KCAL9 covered the mounted patrol.

Masked Take Over Robbery in West Arcadia

SGVN CrimeScene reports that a take over style robbery occurred about 10 AM today at the Radio Shack in West Arcadia. The store is located in the 1400 blk of South Baldwin Avenue. Two men wearing masks and armed with a handgun, bound the clerk and placed him in the store bathroom. The suspects made off with cash and possibly items from the store according to the blog report. The suspects were described as male, Latino, average height and weight.

Please call APD Detectives if you have any information on the case, (626)574-5160.

Car Repair Leads to Injury

About 9:30 AM this morning, a 57 year old Monterey Park man was helping a friend by trying to make a quick repair on a mini-van. The men were parked in a pharmacy parking lot near Baldwin Avenue and Las Tunas Drive. The mini-van was lifted on a jack. The vehicle fell off the jack, rolled over the victim, and continued through the business parking lot coming to rest against a parking block. Arcadia Fire treated the victim and transported him to a local hospital. The victim suffered a broken rib, a broken arm and possibly a broken collar bone.

Tuesday Tip - Pool Safety

Summer is upon us and one of the biggest attractions during this time of year is the swimming pool. Unfortunately, our pools are also one the leading contributors to accidents, injury and death in the home. Children love water and a pool is an inviting place, not only in the summer, but throughout the year for a young child. That is why there are rules and regulations that apply to all residential swimming pools. Fences, alarms, clearance, self-closing gates and latches, are just some of the requirements. Visit your local City website and view the municipal code requirements or call your local City Hall.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has a handout available on-line that gives excellent tips for pool safety. Other sources such as the Red Cross and About.com have resources available on the web as well.

In addition to the physical requirements, remember to always be aware of your young childs where abouts when pools are near. Even if they know how to swim, keep an eye on them. Set rules for your children about not using the pool without adult supervision, keep toys and other inviting objects away from the pool when not in use, always have a phone available near the pool, keep pool gates locked and shut when not using them, do not place ladders or chairs against the outside of a pool fence. Learn basic safety techniques and take a CPR class. Be proactive and prevent accidents before they happen!

Summer time is also a time for outdoor gatherings and hosting a pool party. Never assume your child is being watched. Appoint someone to be the "pool monitor" at all times. Time is not on your side with a drowning victim. Drowning can happen in a matter of seconds. Answering the phone, getting another drink, grabbing a snack, all allow time for a drowning. Be responsible and be always aware of what is happening in the pool! If a child is missing, the first place to look should be the pool. In the event of an emergency, immediately call 9-1-1.

Parking Lot Robbery

During the evening hours on Friday, June 20th, a male victim was accosted with a knife in the parking lot of Denny's Restaurant at Santa Anita Avenue and Huntington Drive. The victim was not injured but two suspects made off with a small amount of cash.

Both suspects were described as male, Asian, 18-20 years old, black spiky hair, 5'-09"/140lbs. One suspect was wearing a white shirt and black shoes. The suspect vehicle was a black , 2 door, Mercedes SL 500.

Please call APD Detectives if you have any information on the case at (626) 574-5160.

Residential Burg Arrests

An alert resident in the 100 blk. of West Sandra spots the same truck in the neighborhood last Wednesday, June 18th, that was possibly associated with a daytime residential burglary the day prior. The resident calls APD and Officers find three suspects inside the victim residence. The suspects were wearing work belts and claimed to be contractors. Officers found forced entry and other evidence at the location to show otherwise. The trio was arrested for residential burglary. Two males and a female suspect were in custody. The suspect truck was described as a blue Toyota.

APD Vehicles/Programs - Parking Control

In 2007, APD entered into a contract with Inter-Con Security to provide parking control services to the City. APD employs four, full time Parking Enforcement Representatives (PERS) with two vehicles dedicated to their efforts. The PERS have enhanced our ability to provide parking control throughout the City and most notably, in our business districts. Handicap enforcement, timed zones, private parking citations, overnight restrictions, abandoned vehicles, all are handled by the PERS. Their efforts allow the Officers to concentrate on other tasks and duties. Inter-Con has been a welcome addition to our Department.

Daytime Hot Prowl Burglary

About 1PM today, a woman was inside her apartment in the 500 blk. of West Duarte Rd. and heard noises on the first floor. She went downstairs and found that a male suspect had forced open the front door and gained entry to the apartment. The victim startled the suspect who fled with no loss.

The suspect is described as a male, Hispanic, 30 years old, bleached blond short hair, a goatee, about 5'08", 160 lbs, wearing shorts.

Be mindful of commotion and noises around your home. Don't hesitate to call 9-1-1 if you feel in danger or that someone has broken into your home. If you arrive home and find a break in, call your local police and let the Officers check your residence.

If anyone has information on the burglary today or the suspect, please call the APD Detective Bureau at (626) 574-5160.

Tuesday Tip - Auto Burg Prevention

In Mid May, we ran a short article on Auto Burglary. At the request of members of our Detective Bureau, we are running a Tuesday Tip on the topic once again. This is sparked as a result of continuing auto burglaries in parking structures, such as the parking structure at the 24 Hour Fitness near downtown Arcadia. Not only are vehicles being targeted with obvious property in sight, but thieves seem to possibly be casing their victims. In one recent incident, a woman placed property inside her trunk, locked the vehicle and went inside to work out. There was no visible property in the car yet her vehicle was targeted. The window was smashed and the thief opened the trunk by using a release inside the car door.

The best way to prevent yourself from becoming a victim is to leave your valuables at home. Store nothing in your vehicle. For some, that may not be practical. If that is the case, place your belongings in the trunk before you leave your house or business. Don’t stand in the open parking lot and place items in the trunk. You don’t know who may be watching. Look around! Be familiar with your surroundings and who is parked near you or in your isle. Write down license plates and vehicle descriptions if you see someone or a suspicious vehicle. Alert the business and call your local police.

Do not depend on security cameras. Many parking structures do not have security officers or cameras. This was the case here. Look out for yourself and your property. Just like at home, when you are out, lock your doors, be alert, look around and be mindful of your actions. Choose your parking space. Park in well lighted areas, not in a dark corner. Don’t invite a thief!

Family Member Arrested for Attempted Murder

Late Friday night, June 13th, found what appears to be an on-going family dispute take a turn for the worse in the 700 blk of South First Avenue. During a graduation party, an estranged uncle gathers the family together in a room and makes a threatening comment. The male adult pulls a loaded revolver from his jacket pocket but is immediately subdued by family members. The uncle had numerous additional rounds of ammunition for the weapon on his person as well. APD was called and the suspect was taken into custody without incident.

Robbery at West Arcadia CVS

Thursday night at about 9:30PM, a man confronted the manager of the CVS Pharmacy located at 1401 S. Baldwin Avenue, as the manager opened the store safe. The man demanded money from the safe and the manager complied as he thought the robber was armed. The suspect made off with an unknown amount of cash.

The suspect was described as a male, African-American, 40-45 years of age, wearing a light brown striped shirt and tan pants. Call APD Detectives at (626)574-5160 if you have any information on the case.

APD Supports Special Olympics

APD personnel ran for Special Olympics today in the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Detective Crowther, Officer Peralta, Sergeant Ortiz, Officers Ferrari, Castillo, Juarez, Lopez and Trabbie all ran on behalf of the Department, taking the hand off from Monrovia PD at Huntington Drive and Fifth Avenue. The group ran about a five mile route passing off the torch to LASD Temple Station at Las Tunas Drive and Baldwin Avenue.

This is an annual event that APD participates in. Law Enforcement agencies from throughout LA County take part.

Missing Adult

Annette Marie Stolte is missing from her residence in the area of Newman/Santa Anita, which is just south of the IS 210 freeway. Annette was last seen on June 3rd at her home. She is mentally and physically challenged and may be on foot in the Arcadia area. Annette is described as 5-07/130lbs, brown hair and gray eyes. She was last wearing blue jeans.

If you have any information on Annette's whereabouts, please contact APD Detectives at (626)574-5160.

Tuesday Tip - Crosswalks & Pedestrians

A common complaint that comes into the Traffic Bureau is that drivers are failing to yield to pedestrians. Pedestrian actions as well as drivers actions are governed by the Vehicle Code. Drivers must yield to pedestrians at crosswalks and intersections even when there is no marked crosswalk. Use caution when approaching a crosswalk and if you have time to safely stop, yield to the pedestrian waiting to cross. Remember, if the pedestrian has made eye contact with you, they are probably ready to cross. If the roadway is divided, allow the pedestrian to walk past the center line or median before pulling through. If it is an undivided roadway, allow the pedestrian to walk well past the half way point in the road. Always check the curbs and look to see if someone is "darting" off the curb or entering the crosswalk late. Drivers and pedestrians both need to exercise caution and courtesy. Never pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk. Approach with caution and make sure the roadway and crosswalk have cleared.

Turning traffic at intersections is also dangerous for pedestrians. Even though you may have a green as a driver, you must still yield to pedestrians. Drivers making right turns must look and allow the pedestrian to step off on the green. Drivers making left turns across the intersection must make sure that not only is oncoming traffic clear, but that there are not pedestrians in the crosswalk in the path of their turn. Again, use courtesy and common sense. If the ped is well across the intersection or past the median point, you may complete your turn. If the ped is approaching you or on your side of the roadway, YIELD to them!

The DMV has a page dedicated to right of way rules regarding pedestrians and crosswalks.

Pedestrians outside of a crosswalk or unmarked intersection are also held responsible by the Vehicle Code. The pedestrian may only cross the road when safe to do so and must yield to traffic. The pedestrian may not cross between two signalized intersections. This is what is known as "jaywalking".

Congrats to Local Photog Terry Miller

Terry Miller has been a local press photographer for many a year and a friend to many of the APOA members. Terry has taken many photographs of Officers and scenes alike, sharing them with APD and our members. Terry was recently honored by the Visual Artists Guild with the Excellence in Journalism Award. Congrats to Terry on the award!

APD Vehicles/Programs - AMET

The Arcadia Mounted Enforcement Team has been a valuable addition to our agency for many years now. AMET is coordinated by Agent Bruce Smith. Other sworn Officers have participated but the members of AMET are primarily volunteers. APD has always provided a tow vehicle which is currently a Ford F250 Crew Cab equipped with full emergency lights/siren. The Oak Tree Racing Association has been a supporter of AMET from the beginning and provided funding for a very nicely outfitted horse trailer.

Members of AMET provide services such as crowd control, high visibility directed enforcement for events at Santa Anita Race Track, Westfield Shopping Town and the LA Co. Park, enforcement on the City horse trails and at parks. AMET played a key role in recent incidents during KROQ Mircrobrew events at Santa Anita.

AMET members and their horses are Law Enforcement trained and participate in on going regional training with other agencies such as West Covina PD, LASD and Pomona PD.

"A Look Back" - Train vs. Auto

Arcadia Officers and railroad officials investigate this collision that resulted in a fatality. Photo mounted in 1969, unknown date of collision. The crossing appears to possibly be in the area of Santa Anita Avenue.

APOA Supports LAPD Fallen Officers

APOA was well represented by Detectives Crowther, Hale, Hernandez, Officers Cieadlo and St. Pierre who all took part in the 30th Annual Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club Memorial Relay this past Saturday, May 31st. The race was held at the LAPD Academy in Elysian Park and over 1,100 runners took part. The purpose of the race is to commemorate the fallen officers that have served the Los Angeles Police Department. See the LAPD Blog for further information.

Tuesday Tip - Cyber Crime and Kids

The recent indictment of a local man for a form of cyber crime emphasizes the need for parents to take an active role in monitoring the activity of their kids on the Inter-net.

Take a Bite Out of Cyber Crime is a good resource for all of us to stroll through and see what lurks in cyber space. From young children playing games on the net to the teens using the services of the likes of MySpace, they can all fall prey to Cyber Crime.

The website even offers articles on "phishing" with tips for general protection on the web.

Take a look and help keep your kids and yourself safe!

Crime Scene posted a related piece on Sunday. You can view it HERE.

False Alarm Response Billing

The City Council is being asked to approve an ordinance that will increase fees imposed for false alarm responses by APD. Currently, there is an allowance of three alarms per calender year and the new ordinance will drop the allowance to two. On the third alarm, the owner will be billed $100. The fine increases for the fourth and fifth alarms to $200 and $300 respectively. Subsequent alarms will be billed at $300 and the owner will possibly be subject to misdemeanor charges and disconnect orders after a seventh false alarm response.

False alarm responses to both residential and business properties are a huge drain on patrol resources.

Kevin Felt at the PSN ran a story and gives an in depth look at the issue.