Tuesday Tip - "Cheaters"

Most of us pay our registration fees to the State so that we can legally driver our vehicles on the street. Some even pay fees for off-road vehicles used in our deserts and mountains. The majority of residents pay their share and then some with the recently raised rates for registration. However, it is not uncommon to see vehicles with an out of State license plate being driven on our roads. Some of these out of State vehicles may be visitors, relatives coming and going, or even rental cars. Many of them are not.

California law requires that a vehicle used in our State be registered in California within 20 days of either establishing residency or accepting employment. There are few exceptions to this law for persons who live near our border or are in school. It is usually much cheaper to register a car out of State and some people take advantage of that, cheating the State of California. Not only does the State lose money, but this failure to pay helps keep our rates high. The California Highway Patrol launched a website called "Cheaters" that was started to allow drivers to send "tips" to the CHP reporting vehicles being unlawfully used in California.

According to the CHP website, the three most common reasons for not completing the registration process are; people unaware of California registration laws, people evading payments of registration fees and taxes, and people unable to comply with air pollution control laws.

Take a look at the "Cheaters" website. If you are aware of one of these vehicles in your neighborhood, pull up the on-line form and submit the info to the CHP for follow-up.

VOTE "Yes on A" Tomorrow

Don't forget the Arcadia local vote tomorrow, Tuesday, June 9, 2009. The APOA recommends a "Yes" vote on Measure A. Help maintain our City services! Click HERE for a list of polling places.

Prop 83, "Jessica's Law"

On November 7, 2006, California voters approved Proposition 83, known as "Jessica's Law" which offers better protection to California residents, especially children, from sex offenders. Prop 83 also allows local jurisdictions to further restrict residency and loitering of registered sex offenders. On May 5, 2009, the Arcadia City Council voted in favor of introducing Ordinance #2257, amending the Arcadia Municipal Code, adding a section that covers "Residency and Loitering Restrictions for Sex Offenders."

This local ordinance impacts future persons registering as sex offenders and those offenders registered on or after November 8, 2006. The ordinance not only has residency requirements but also allows for exclusionary zones near schools, parks, and other places where children may gather.

Department Launches On-Line Reporting

The Arcadia Police Department launched the Public Safety Citizens Service Portal recently for the purposes of limited on-line reporting via the Internet. The on-line reports are limited to reports that are not of an emergency nature, occurred within the City of Arcadia, have no suspect information, and fall within the following categories;

• Annoying Phone Calls


• Auto Burglary


• Identity Theft


• Lost Property


• Theft


• Vandalism


• Vehicle Tampering

The reporting party completes the information on-line and is furnished with a sequence number. Once submitted, the report is reviewed at APD and if additional information is required, the reporting party will be contacted for an update. Once the report is approved, it is filed with APD just like a report directly to a police officer. An unofficial copy of submitted reports can be obtained through the system for insurance or similar needs. The form is complete with explanations, is fairly easy to follow and is a fill in the box format.

This is a nice addition to our tool bag and allows the community just one more avenue of contact with APD.

City Matches Reward

The Arcadia City Council voted last night to add an additional $20,000 reward in the robbery/murder case of Jason Wei. Jason was killed in November 2007 during a robbery at the Osaka Ya restaurant in Arcadia. This reward offer brings the total reward offer to $40,000. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted last week to offer a reward in the case.

Any information can be directed to APD Detectives at (626) 574-5160.

Two Juvies Arrested for Tagging

Seven foot high letters tagged on the side of a business in the 800 block of South Baldwin lead to the detention and arrest of two juveniles last night. About 7:25 PM, Officers were alerted to the tagging by a witness who called APD. Two 17 year old males from El Monte were arrested near the scene. The two allegedly tagged property with spray paint and marking pens.

Tagging is an act of vandalism and reduces the quality of life in any neighborhood. Please call your local police if you witness someone tagging. Be a good witness and let the call taker know what you see. Do not attempt to contact or detain the vandals.

Tuesday Tip - "You Are a Winner!" (Scams)

“You Have Just Won $1,000,000.00!” Ever receive a letter for a sweepstakes or some form of “lottery” that indicates that you have been selected as a winner? All you have to do is call the phone number listed on the letter and claim your prize. You may then be asked to give personal information or perhaps obtain an amount of cash and wire that money to a company or individual to cover the costs of handling and insurance on your winnings. Sound pretty simple? Sound too good to be true? Did you ever enter this particular sweepstakes?

The vast majority of these unsolicited letters are scams; scams that are designed to separate you from your hard earned money. Trust your initial instincts and do not respond to this form of solicitation and theft. Similar scams have been used before and even now have evolved from mail scams to crimes on the Internet which are sent via email. Any form of communication that seeks either your personal information or funds should be ignored unless YOU initiated the contact. Confirm the validity through reliable sources before you allow yourself to become a victim.

Some factors to look for may include;
· Any solicitation that you did not ask for
· Addresses that are out of the area
· Names of large companies or persons that you have no affiliation with
· Request for personal information
· ANY request for you to send money
· Ask yourself, “Is this too good to be true?”

Protect yourself and your family. Many of these scams target the elderly. Please pass on the information to your loved ones and help prevent this type of crime.