"YES" on Measure A

The APOA is joining other City Employees and the AFFA in supporting a "YES" vote on Measure A on June 9, 2009. Measure A will help preserve Arcadia public services such as police and fire protection and short response times, paramedic service, street maintenance and repair, graffiti abatement, library and recreation programs, senior and youth programs, traffic management, code enforcement and more.


Measure A seeks voter approval to UPDATE an existing ordinance; it is not a new tax. Measure A modernizes the Utility Users Tax Ordinance that was put in place in 1970. These UUT dollars remain in Arcadia and ensure locally protected revenue for public safety. If Measure A is not approved and the UUT is not modernized, this portion of the General Fund may be subject to legal challenge and could result in an estimated $1 million loss.


Remember to vote "YES" on Measure A on Tuesday, June 9th.

Questions and Answers HERE!

Possible Indecent Exposure Near School

About 9:40 AM today, a man was seen by school personnel, walking through the north parking lot of Holly Avenue School at Holly Avenue and Duarte Road. The subject was reportedly walking with his pants unzipped, exposing himself as he passed through. No children were in the area at the time and the subject continued on foot, last seen walking on Lyndon near Duarte. The subject was described as a male white, 50-60 years, wearing a green ball cap, a light green shirt and gray pants.

A Look Back - APD Motor Squad

This photo showed up last week on my desk. Don't know the year, but I am guessing the 1960's...The photo is in front of the old APD station on our current site, 250 W. Huntington Drive.

Sweepstakes Scam

An 80 year old Arcadia woman was the victim of a mail “sweepstakes” scam this week. The victim received a letter from “Reader’s Digest – Pepsi” that indicated she had won a large sum of money. Instructions directed the victim to call a company agent who instructed the victim to withdraw and wire money to a Canadian office of Western Union. Unfortunately, the victim did just that and is now out money to unknown suspects.

This serves as a good reminder to be aware of this type of criminal activity and next week’s “Tuesday Tip” will address the topic.

NASCAR Supports NLEOMF

This video was produced by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. In the Dover NASCAR race on May 31st, LEO's will be saluted and Jeff Gordon's car will carry the NLEOMF logo and information supporting donations to the Memorial Fund. You can make a $5 donation to the Fund by texting "HERO" to 20222 on your cellular phone.

Reward Offered in Jason Wei Murder

On November 25, 2007, at about 9:24 PM, a lone suspect fired a gunshot killing Jason Wei during a robbery at the Osaka Ya Restaurant at 815 West Naomi Avenue. Jason Wei was the owner of the restaurant and left behind a wife and two young children. There have been minimal leads in the investigation despite the initial media coverage and wanted bulletins.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted today to offer a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect in this case. Supervisor Michael Antonovich hosted a joint news conference with the Arcadia Police Department to announce the reward. Chief Bob Sanderson and Detective Dan Crowther spoke on behalf of APD. Please link below to see footage of the news conference and surveillance video of the crime. The suspect is described as a male, Hispanic or African-American, black beanie, black jacket, black pants, black shoes, wearing a sweatshirt underneath jacket, with unknown logo on front.

• KCAL 9/KCBS 2
• KABC 7
• KTLA 5

Anyone with information is asked to call APD Detectives at (626) 574-5160. Anonymous crime tips can also be made at (800) 78-CRIME or to Wetip.com.

Transient Whacked with Cane

The Memorial Day morning was not so quiet for two transients at the LA County Park, 405 S. Santa Anita Avenue. The two males became involved in a verbal argument which lead to one transient striking the other in the head with a cane. The victim suffered a laceration to his head which required treatment at a local hospital. The suspect transient was taken into custody.

Man Robbed of Cell Phone

A man who had just finished playing basketball at First Avenue Jr. High, 301 S. First Avenue, had his cellular phone grabbed and he was knocked to the ground shortly before 10:00 PM on Saturday night, May 23rd. The victim suffered minor injuries. The suspects made off with the phone and were last seen driving an older model, gray Toyota RAV4. The suspects were both male African-Americans and appeared to be in their twenties.

Bar Twist Altercation

Shortly before midnight on Friday, May 22nd, a 19 year-old man from Covina received a laceration in the back during a fight outside Bar Twist at 48 E. Huntington Drive. The victim and friends had been drinking at the establishment and a friend became involved in a fight. The victim allegedly came to the friend’s aide and at some point during the altercation; the victim suffered a laceration by an unknown object. There was no clear description on the suspects, other than a group of males. The victim was treated at a local hospital and released.

Tuesday Tip - Property Reassessment Solicitations

The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office released a warning recently regarding potential scams involving companies that offer to complete property tax reassessment forms for property owners. This service is provided free of charge through the County and the solicitation letters offer to complete the forms and assist the owner for a fee of about $179.00. LADA has a "consumer alert" on their website HERE.

Just Ask!

Want an opportunity to ask a question about Law Enforcement? Have a traffic related question? How about something you always wanted to ask an Officer but never have had the chance to do it?

Click on the comments below and submit your question. If you wish to remain anonymous, that is fine. All comments/questions must be "approved" before posting. This will help prevent duplicate or inappropriate submissions.

Depending on the topic, we may address the question in a separate topic or as a reply comment. We will make every effort to address all questions that come in. So don't be shy, just ask!

Memorial Day 2009

To those that are serving and those that have served, we wish you the best on this Memorial Day 2009. To the men and women who served our country and gave the ultimate sacrifice, we salute you! Take the time to say "Thanks" to our vets and current members of our military, not just today, but everyday.

Flag Reminder for Memorial Day

Proudly display your American Flag at half-staff tomorrow, Memorial Day, from sunrise to noon in honor of our service personnel who have given their lives for our Country.

North End Indecent Exposure

Late Tuesday night, at about 10:50 PM, a woman was standing inside her home, near a front window, talking on the phone. She looked out to see a male standing outside near the front of her home, with his pants down, masturbating. The victim yelled out and the suspect fled on foot. The incident occurred in the 100 block of Elkins Place. The suspect was described as Hispanic, between 20-25 years of age. It is unknown whether or not this crime is in any way associated with the indecent exposure reported last week.

Memorial Day Safety Tips

Robert Hong has a good article in the Pasadena Star News that discusses some safety tips for this holiday weekend. The article reminds us about fire safety with many folks expecting to barbecue as well as reminders to not drink and drive. Take a look at the article HERE. It is worth your time to read it.

APOA on PoliceOne.com

The APOA Info Blog was recently placed on the blog roll at PoliceOne.com . PoliceOne is a well recognized website that offers Law Enforcement officers from throughout the Nation and beyond, a great resource for news, training, and other valuable information related to our career. The website has both publically viewed pages as well as secure information that can only be accessed by Law Enforcement personnel. This is a nice nod to the APOA and we appreciate the recognition.

Tuesday Tip - "Click It or Ticket"

It only takes two seconds to buckle up. Two seconds! And those two seconds could literally save your life. They will also keep you from getting a ticket and a fine.

Police departments throughout California will be looking for drivers and passengers who don’t buckle up during the “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement campaign. And that includes passengers in the back seat. “Click It or Ticket” debuted in California in 2005, and since then over one million more vehicle occupants have started buckling up.

The cost of an adult seat belt violation costs $132, and up to $435 for not properly restraining a child under 16. If the parent is not in the car, the driver gets the ticket.

So when you pack up the family, or even just yourself, please do so safely. Don’t put your own life at risk, or the life of your family or friends. Buckle up. The 2009 campaign runs from May 18th - 31st.

Possible Suicide in the Arboretum

Brian Day at the Crime Scene Blog is reporting that a man apparently hung himself on the Arboretum grounds sometime on Saturday. The man was found near the south lot of the Arboretum. Link to the article for additional details. The Los Angeles County Arboretum is located on Baldwin Avenue just south of the IS 210 freeway.

Indispensable Leadership? (Op-Ed)

Having recently read an article from the San Francisco Chronicle, posted on PoliceOne.com, that eludes to disharmony amongst the members of the Oakland Police Department S.W.A.T. Team, I began to debate the thought of whether or not any leader, any manager, any supervisor is indispensable. Throughout my career, there have been times when I certainly believed much to my detriment, that I was indispensable; only to later learn that the functions of my unit, program, and department continue to roll on without me. I have also seen other supervisors and officers alike, with similar beliefs and opinions of themselves. It is unfortunate that we sometimes allow our ego to overwhelm our thoughts and the concept of reality.

A positive trait of leadership is the ability to develop personnel under your watch. Development goes hand in hand with continued training, learning, and succession planning. If we are doing our jobs as supervisors, development is an ongoing theme and with time, you should have the confidence in your staff to properly carry out any mission or task. In my experience, the higher in rank that we promote, the truth of the above statement multiplies.

In the case of the Oakland PD tragedy, a Captain with responsibility for management over both a Traffic Bureau and the S.W.A.T. Team, made a conscious choice to remain at the hospital with the families of two mortally wounded motor officers as opposed to responding to a barricade suspect incident. Granted, the barricade situation was obviously a high priority, in that the suspect was the same murderer who had just shot the two motor officers, the Captain felt a duty to carry out his mission at hand; that comforting the families of the slain officers. The management of the barricade situation was deferred to the Patrol Captain, who as noted in the article did have previous S.W.A.T. experience. At the barricade scene, the decision was made to enter the apartment where the murderer lied in wait and the lives of two additional of Oakland’s finest were taken from us.

Any Law Enforcement death is tragic, but the events in Oakland on March 21, 2009, are something that I never again wish to see in my career. This tragedy has negatively impacted not only the Oakland PD family, but each and every one of us in the greater Law Enforcement family. Investigations, debriefs, questions, accusations, followed by answers, suggestions, and training, will never satisfy all of us with a vested interest in this tragedy. But we can each take something and improve our thought process, our tactics, our leadership ability, by being open to what we learn in the aftermath.

To be a successful supervisor, especially at a management level, you need to have the confidence in your personnel that any mission they confront or undertake in your absence, will be carried out in a manner consistent with training, law enforcement ethics, department policy, and procedures. Not all missions will be successful, but the majority will be. If any one of us is so indispensable to an organization, that our presence is the only way to ensure success, we have failed in our mission as a leader. Likewise, if any one of us believes that we are indispensable, we have failed personally.

Like all Law Enforcement tragedies and high profile incidents, there will be training and potential changes to procedure that will follow the Oakland tragedy. Take the time to review each and every bulletin or review; digest it, learn from it, and move forward. Casting stones, deflecting focus, disparaging others lends no benefit, and moreover, pays no tribute to our fallen brothers.

South East Residential Burglary

Officers were already in the area when they were dispatched to the discovery of a residential burglary having occurred in the 2500 block of Doolittle Avenue this afternoon. At about 1:05 PM, units had been sent to the area of the 900 block of East Winnie Way when a resident observed two male African Americans running from the rear yard and entering an awaiting van. No burglary was found at that location, however, there was a residential burglary on Doolittle, which is just a short distance away.

The resident saw a female approach the front door on Winnie Way and then shortly after the two males went into the rear yard. After calling the police, the subjects ran away from the home to the van, described as full-size, maroon in color with windows, and no rear license plate. The subjects were possibly alerted to the call by use of police scanners and fled prior to APD arrival.

This type of "M.O." has been used in some residential burglaries in town and residents should be alert to persons approaching homes in this manner. It is not uncommon for a suspect to knock on the door in attempts to see if someone is home prior to the commission of a burglary. If the resident answers, there is usually some feigned excuse provided by the suspect such as lost, looking for a dog, looking for directions, etc. Please call the police right away should you see or experience this type of activity.

Indecent Exposure

At about 7:50 AM, on Wednesday May 13th, a woman was walking in the area of Longden Avenue and El Monte Avenue Avenue when a dark colored sedan pulled to the curb near her. The driver called to the woman who thought that the driver was possibly in need of directions. The woman looked to see the driver wearing no pants and exposing himself. The suspect then drove off, wearing only a blue shirt. The suspect was described as a male Hispanic, about 35 years old, medium build, dark short hair.

Fight on the Court

At about 9:00 PM last night, Officers responded to First Avenue Junior High, 301 S. First Avenue, on a report of 10-15 subjects involved in a fight. Officers found that an argument began during a pick-up basketball game and one subject was struck in the head and sprayed with OC. The victim fell and was then kicked by the suspects. The suspects fled in a white Lexus with gold emblems. The four suspects were described as male Asians, about 20 years old with shaved heads and tattoos.

Wanted - Residential Burglary

Occurred on Tuesday, 04/28/09 at 1:25 PM in the 200 block of W. Woodruff Ave. Two suspects knocked on front door; after no answer, they kicked open the door, entered and ransacked the location, took jewelry, and fled. Suspects were in the location for approximately 3 1/2 minutes. The two suspects were both male, wearing gray hooded sweatshirts with white t-shirts underneath. No further details and no vehicle seen/heard.

While our overall residential burglary rate has slowed since early this year, this type of crime continues and everyone should be vigilant in keeping an eye out for suspicious persons or vehicles in your neighborhood. Call the police right away if you believe there is suspicious persons or activity in your area. Three arrests were made recently because of an alert neighbor who called APD while observing a possible crime in progress.

Tuesday Tip - Cover and Secure Loads

It is not uncommon to find a pick-up truck or some form of flat bed hauling a load of sand, dirt, gravel, or other aggregate down the road. The problems come about when the load is not covered or improperly secured. California law is very straight forward and is in place to protect other drivers and vehicles on the roadway from debris being dropped or falling onto the road.

Aggregate material ( soil, sand, rocks, etc. ) can not be transported unless the bed or other area where it is placed is secure and free from holes or spaces where the material can escape and fall out. If material is left outside the enclosure, on a bed rail, bumper, etc, it must be removed prior to transporting. Additionally, the load may not come within 6" of the top of the enclosure and the load must be covered.

So, if you are a weekend warrior and grab a load of sand from the local supply lot, make sure to spread the load throughout the bed, bring a tarp to cover it, clean the rails and bumper, and make sure that none of the load can fall from the vehicle. Many of our Officers are commercial trained and conduct enforcement stops for size, weight, and load violations not only on large commercial trucks, but also on common pick-ups and small stake beds as well.

Refer CVC 23114 and all sub sections for specific requirements. This CVC section is long, describes each equipment requirement, and defines "aggregate material" for California drivers.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and moms to be out there.

Take the time to celebrate your mom and wish them all the best today!

California Peace Officers' Memorial

California Peace Officers' Memorial ceremonies for 2009 kick off today with a reception for survivor families and a candlelight vigil this evening at the Memorial Monument across from the State Capital. Officers killed in the line of duty for 2008-2009 will be honored in the Enrollment Ceremony, also at the Memorial Monument, tomorrow at 10:30 AM. National Police Week begins next week and runs May 10-16, 2009 with ceremonies throughout the Nation to honor our fallen brothers and sisters.

Arcadia & Monrovia Fire units knock down a commercial blaze @ Santa Anita/Duarte at about 8:30 AM.

Tuesday Tip - "No Right Turn On Red"

Several intersections throughout town have "No Right Turn On Red" signs or lights posted in order to assist traffic safety. Some of the intersections include Huntington Drive/Second Avenue, the eastbound Interstate 210 exit at Baldwin Avenue, First Avenue/Santa Clara Street, and eastbound Huntington Drive/Santa Clara Street. The majority of intersections are signed with universal symbol or older style, block print signs indicating that a turn is prohibited on a red signal. The one exception is the intersection of Huntington at Santa Clara where there are two LED signs that only illuminate in conjunction with the pedestrian signal. The LED signs display the universal "No Right Turn On Red" symbol when lighted. One of the sections used to enforce these signs is CVC 21461(a). It is important for drivers to obey these signs. As stated, the primary reasons for restricting a right turn are driver and pedestrian safety. There may be roadway or vision obstructions that are not readily apparent to drivers or there may be a need for a protected pedestrian phase. These signs are not posted without cause, so please be aware of posted signs and obey the direction or restriction.

Deputy David March Remembered

This past Wednesday was the anniversary of the murder of Deputy David March, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Temple Station. Deputy March was killed during a traffic stop on Live Oak Avenue, east of Peck Road, on April 29, 2002. A memorial was built in his honor at the scene. Temple Deputies remember Deputy March not only on the anniversary of his death, but throughout the year by displaying his call sign, "57" on the rear window of Temple units. The APOA would like to take a moment and ask everyone to remember this local fallen hero.

Charity Raffle Benefits Police K-9's

I found an interesting article on Police Link that promotes a charity sponsored in part by NASCAR drivers Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle. Vest N Police Dog Protection is a non-profit organization that was started in order to raise money and donate protective vests to Law Enforcement K-9's throughout the country. Although APD does not currently have a K-9 unit, other local agencies such as Monrovia, Pasadena, El Monte, and the LASD do have working police dogs that assist our agency when called upon. This is a worthy fund raiser and tickets are only $10. Visit the raffle website at Invest 'n Vests.