Visit to the O.C. Yields Arrest

Over the course of the last few weeks, a Pasadena man has been escalating threats against his ex-wife, ran from Officers and later threatened two of our personnel. Last Friday, leads pointed toward a relative's home in Surf City USA (Huntington Beach). HBPD Detectives located the vehicle being driven by the suspect near the 16000 blk. Birdie Ln, Huntington Beach, and suveilled the location until APD Detectives arrived. The suspect eventually emerged and literally ran out of his sandals prior to being taken into custody. The suspect was transported back to Arcadia and booked on felony criminal threats charges.

Thanks to Huntington Beach PD for the assist! HBPD jumped right in, assisting in the field and in facilitating an out of county warrant for our suspect. Great teamwork all around.

Officer Albert Matthies, EOW July 19, 1927

Today is the 82nd anniversary of the murder of Arcadia Police Officer Albert Matthies. Officer Matthies was killed in the line of duty on July 19, 1927. Officer Matthies is the only Arcadia Police Officer to be killed in the line of duty. Please visit the APOA website or our previous blog post on this tragedy for a brief history in memory of Officer Albert Matthies.

The murder of Officer Matthies is memorialized at the following locations:

• Plaque memorial at Foothill Blvd/Northview Ave, Arcadia CA
• Los Angeles County Peace Officers Memorial, Whittier CA
• California Peace Officers Memorial, Sacramento CA
• National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, Washington DC
• Officer Down Memorial Page

Unexpected Morning DUI

A female driver was arrested for DUI shortly after 9:00 AM this morning after another driver called in her impaired driving. Officers found the vehicle and driver in the area of Foothill and Don Ricardo. She was found to be DUI and arrested. Preliminary tests showed her blood alcohol content at over 3 x the legal limit. This is an arrest you normally expect to find in the middle of the night; not mid morning.

Please...do not drink and drive. Report drunk drivers, call 9-1-1.

Law Enforcement and Social Media

Law Enforcement, in general, is slowly entering the world of social media. I read an interesting article from Christa Miller on Cops 2.0 recently, titled Experts: Branding opportunities in disguise. The article, and the Cops 2.0 website, explores the use of social media formats and the Internet by police agencies and individual officers as well. "To be sure, this idea is outside the bounds of traditional law enforcement hierarchies. Tightly controlled information has been—and still is, to some extent—crucial to the overall mission of preserving peace and public safety."

The article points out that use of social media by Law Enforcement is an opportunity to reach out to the public in a far different way than traditional means. "Tightly controlled information" and the Public Information Officer (PIO) are not being replaced by the use of social media. The use of social media by police is an additional tool at our disposal and is of value. Take a look at the article and the Cops 2.0 website for additional information on the topic and some great examples of how Law Enforcement in putting this concept to use.

Tuesday Tip - Avoid Heat Related Illness

Having attended outdoor training and PT on a fair number of occasions, I have heard the phrase, "stay hydrated," from countless instructors. With the weather hitting the 90's this week, that type of advice is warranted. The CDC offers many hot weather tips for avoiding heat related problems. Their best advice is prevention...take a look at the CDC link HERE for helping to prevent heat related illness. Additional tips can be found on the Red Cross website HERE.

If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of heat stroke or heat exhaustion, dial 9-1-1 and seek medical aid immediately.

"Arcadia's Best" Posts ALPR Video

This video was put together by Arcadia's Best after a ride-a-long with Officer Justin St. Pierre of APD. It focuses on use of the Automated License Plate Reader which four of our units are equipped with. The ALPR is a great piece of equipment and scans countless vehicle plates automatically. See our post on the ALPR system HERE.

Officer Louis Pompei Memorial Golf Tournament

The APOA was a proud sponsor in the 2009 Officer Louis Pompei Memorial Golf Tournament held today at the Via Verde Country Club in San Dimas. Louis was a Glendora Police Officer who was killed while attempting to stop an armed robbery at a San Dimas market while he was off-duty on June 9, 1995. Louis or Louie, as many of us knew him, was a great friend and co-worker and is missed by many. The tournament is held annually in his memory and much of the proceeds go to the California Peace Officers Memorial Fund. Sergeant Tom Le Veque(L), Detectives Dan Crowther(C) and Phil Pierce(R), along with Crime Analyst Mike Daleo represented APOA at the event.