Letter in Support of Candidates

February 25, 2010


Dear Resident,

On February 17th, 2010, the men and women of the Arcadia Police Officers’ Association met with 4 of the 6 candidates vying for 3 City Council seats. Each candidate was given the opportunity to speak about their campaign as well as answer important questions from our general membership. In attendance were candidates: Mickey Segal, Bob Harbicht, Peter Amundson and Sho Tay. After much discussion and a review with the general membership, the Arcadia Police Offices’ Association unanimously voted to officially endorse and support Mickey Segal, Bob Harbicht and Sho Tay.

Our decision to back these candidates was easy. We believe in the community we serve. We are dedicated to enhancing public safety and reducing fear and the incidence of crime. We believe in treating all people with respect and dignity as our residents are our most important resource. We strive to achieve the highest level of quality in all aspects of our service, as integrity is our standard. Mickey Segal, Bob Harbicht and Sho Tay share this mission. On behalf of the men and women of the Arcadia Police Officers’ Association, it is my honor and privilege to endorse these gentlemen as candidates for the Arcadia City Council.

Sincerely,



Troy Hernandez
President, Arcadia Police Officers’ Association



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APOA Endorses Arcadia City Council Candidates

Members of the Arcadia Police Officers’ Association gathered Wednesday, February 17, 2010 for a general membership meeting. This meeting highlighted upcoming City Council elections to be held on April 13, 2010. At stake are three seats on the Arcadia City Council. The APOA was approached by four of the six candidates who sought endorsement from our membership. Candidates Sho Tay, Bob Harbicht, Peter Amundson, and Mickey Segal each addressed the membership and participated individually in a “Q&A” session. The meeting was informative and provided us a great opportunity to interact and speak with each of the candidates.

After listening to the candidates and discussion amongst the membership, members voted unanimously to endorse and support Bob Harbicht, Mickey Segal, and Sho Tay for election to Arcadia City Council on April 13, 2010. We look forward to continuing to participate in the campaign process and assisting our candidates in their successful election to City Council.

Happy Chinese New Year and Happy Valentine's Day

We celebrate two holidays today with both the Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day falling on the same date in 2010. The men and women of the APOA wish you the best for both these occasions. Happy Chinese New Year 2010, the Year of the Tiger, and Happy Valentine's Day!

Celebrate safely, enjoy the day but please remember to be responsible. Don't Drink and Drive!

Arcadia Council Cadidates Start Early

Aside from old school print media coverage, advertisements and letters to the editor, our City Council candidates have new outlets for exposure, airing their views and hopefully, conversation. Arcadia's Best has opened blog space on their website for the candidates and four have taken advantage of the Internet to voice their opinions. A couple have even snipped back and forth already.


Members of the Arcadia Police Officers' Association will be able to listen to and question the position of several candidates who have expressed interest in addressing our membership. The candidates will appear at a membership meeting later this month. While we understand that City Council does not work directly with the APOA, it is important to maintain open lines of communication. We saw great strides made in the last few years in this arena and the APOA is thankful to the current City Council members that reached out to our membership.


It is evident early on that there are concerns in the community and positions being stated by City Council candidates that either directly impact our membership or in which our members play a vital role in. Such as traffic enforcement and engineering issues, budget and state of the City, crime prevention and what types of crime trends are being seen in Arcadia. These are all important issues, along with many others, that impact the community and we urge those of you in the City to listen to each position but more importantly, research and learn what is not only the best for the City of Arcadia but what is realistic and attainable. Don't let campaign rhetoric cloud the issues.

Where is the Tuesday Tip?

The APOA "Tuesday Tip" posts will be moving. We will be starting a "Weekly Tip" on the APD Blog. Check back tomorrow on the APD Blog for this weeks tip on "Unmarked Police Units."

Past tips will remain in the archives and searchable by topic by using the tab at the top of the page.

Arcadia Police Department Opens Up to Social Media

The Arcadia Police Department officially opened up to the use of Social Media this last week with Chief Bob Sanderson authorizing a new Department Blog and use of Facebook and Twitter in conjunction with our Nixle Community Wire. This move forward will mean additional access to the community and many more ways to interact with the Arcadia Police Department. Visit the official APD Blog HERE.

Our APOA Blog will continue to be published with a shift in focus to highlight more Association related news and updates, membership activity, local politics, and City related business. The weekly tips and APD activity will move to the official APD Blog. With almost two years of blogging and over 500 posts, the APOA Blog continues to contribute toward our Department motto, "Making a Difference."

Tuesday Tip - Personal Safety

With several recent violent robberies taking place, people have asked how can they prevent becoming a victim and what to do should they be confronted. Answers are not easy and every situation is different but here are some basic tips that may help:

• Awareness & Avoidance - Not enough can be said for being aware of your surroundings. It does not matter where you are, at home, out shopping, driving, at the park, DO NOT settle into a fog and become so involved in your task that you fail to look around. Scan the area before you head out. Look around and see what potential threats may be looming. Are there suspicious persons parked by your car? Is there a car approaching slowly from behind? If you see something that makes you suspicious or uncomfortable, walk away, return to the store and report the activity and your observations to security or store staff. The highlighted title above will link you to a previous tip on being safe in your home for additional tips and thoughts.
• Be a Good Witness - If you see a crime or fall victim, be the best witness that you can be. Without good suspect descriptions it is difficult for police to conduct follow-up, apprehend criminals and hopefully help prevent others from becoming future victims. Basic physical descriptions such as hair color and style, height, weight and build, clothing color and type, suspect vehicle description and license plate, direction of travel, are all things that a responding police officer will ask for. Try and make note of anything specific to the suspect such as tattoos, scars, piercings or perhaps damage in a particular location on a suspect vehicle.
• Consider the Stakes - If this is a property crime and you are in fear for your safety, give up the purse, the wallet, the car. Your personal well-being is much more valuable than your property. Property can be replaced, you can't.
• Make a Scene! - Drawing attention to yourself and more importantly to the suspect can not only deter the crime but also bring forward other witnesses and possibly help. Yell, scream, use a whistle, run away...
• Don't be a Target - Walk with a purpose and look about surveying your surroundings. Carry your keys and whistle in your hand, not buried in your purse. This allows you to immediately open your vehicle, set off your car alarm if needed, or perhaps use the keys to slash at your attacker if you are being physically assaulted. Keep your purse tucked under your shoulder, not dangling down or sitting unattended in a cart.

Query the topic of personal safety on-line. There are many quality sites that offer additional advice and products that can bolster your safety. Best overall advice...Awareness and Avoidance!