Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Partying Leads to Fight

Several calls regarding a group fighting in the street were received last night at about 11:20PM in the 1100 block of Greenfield. Officers arrived to find the group dispersing but did find one 19 year old man with a laceration to his head. Information from persons in the area was that a party had been taking place at a nearby residence when several fights broke out between persons at the party. The "fights" spilled out into the street and the police were called. The victim of the head injury was treated at a local hospital. Although many subjects were contacted in the area, no suspects were arrested on charges pertaining to the fights.

Be a Good Witness!

KABC 7 is reporting on a tragic story out of LAPD Foothill Division this morning where one man was killed and another pistol whipped after confronting a group of burglary suspects. This serves as a reminder to do what you can to be a good witness if you observe or suspect a crime in progress. Call your local police and report what you see. Do everything you can to avoid confrontation with a suspect. Don't chance your own personal safety when at all possible.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Activity for Last Week

Not a lot of updates over the last week...out of town for a brief stint. Arcadia's Best has a nice summary of activity for the time period including info on an armed street robbery and an indecent exposure. Take a look HERE.

Tuesday Tip - How Much is Too Much Information?

Social media websites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and others are used daily by all of us to share experiences and information. Some of this information is personal. People share photos, current whereabouts, vacation plans, stories, news, family updates...you name it. But when does this sharing become too much? Only you can answer that question based on your own comfort level. Some things to consider before you post your next update might include:
  • WHO is reading your post or update? Just your friends? Remember that there is always a way to access information that you believe to be private. Take your pick - a boss, a feuding friend or ex-spouse, a predator or criminal?
  • Giving constant updates of your whereabouts or plans gives criminals the knowledge that your home or business may be vacated, inviting theft or burglary.
  • Personal information can be used to facilitate identity theft; birth dates, current address, where you were born, a maiden name.
  • Job searching? Background investigators use tools to search your past and present Internet activity. One too many embarrassing photos or comment posts could doom your chances when job hunting.
  • For those of us in Law Enforcement, remember that personal posts, website info, etc. is being used in court in attempts to show a bias or discredit you as a witness.

Bottom line is that everything that you post on-line is accessible, even deleted content sometimes. Your personal information is more easily obtained these days. Take a moment to query your name, your address, your phone numbers. Look at county records for home purchases and deeds. Do what you can to protect yourself from those who would victimize you. Many legitimate search sites will remove your personal information if you ask. And as far as social media goes, take a moment to think about what you are posting before you click that mouse.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Tuesday Tip - Don't Be Scammed in Your Doorway!

Over the course of the last few weeks, APD has responded on a few reports of residential burglaries wherein the victim was lured into walking outside their home by a stranger. In these instances, the suspect who knocked at the door was a nicely dressed female who claimed to have some sort of legitimate reason to lure the resident outside. Excuses range from a neighbor doing construction to surveying the property were some of the reasons that the suspect would give to the resident. While the resident accompanied the female, a male suspect would slip in the front door and rummage through belongings, looking for money and jewelry. When the crime was complete, the pair would flee.


Whenever anyone comes to your door that you do not know, first attempt to verbally identify them without opening the door. If you do open the door, ask them to show you some form of proper ID along with legitimate business cards or uniform. If you are in any doubt as to who you are dealing with, close and lock your door and call the police. Chances are that if the person is legitimate, they will gladly show you their identification and there will most likely be a work related vehicle directly in front of your home. If they are up to no good, they will move on when you confront their purpose. Be a good witness and give the police a description of the persons involved. By no means should you walk away from your home or allow an unknown person in your home. Stay safe, stay alert!

Friday, August 7, 2009

Ruse Burglary

On Wednesday afternoon at about 1:30 PM, a woman knocked on a resident's door near Lemon and Santa Anita. The woman said that she needed access to the resident's backyard due to construction at a neighboring home. The resident accompanied the female suspect to the rear yard. While the resident was occupied, a second suspect slipped into the home and stole jewelry and cash. The female then quickly fled the scene. The female was described as a having brown shoulder length hair with blond streaks, wearing a dark skirt, between 20-30 years old, 5-04, slender build. The second suspect was not seen. Two similar burglaries occurred back on July 18th.