Weekly Activity Highlights for July 9 - 15, 2017

https://www.arcadiaca.gov/home/showdocument?id=10143

Weekly Tip - Burglary Prevention for Your Home

Residential burglary prevention continues to be a focus of the Arcadia Police Department. Increased patrol presence, Investigators working surveillance, follow-up on leads/tips, and recovered stolen property, are all pieces to a much larger puzzle when it comes to preventing residential burglaries and property crime. One of the most important pieces to this puzzle is the resident. It is very important to discourage the would be thief and make their job as difficult, time consuming, and as noisy as possible.

Here are a few quick tips to help keep your home safe:

•Close and lock your windows and doors! Thieves look for an easy target.

•Lock your garage door. Thefts from garages are common and it offers ready access to pry tools.

•Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed so that windows and doors are visible.

•Maintain your home and make it looked lived in. Arrange for care if you leave on vacation.

•Don't leave newspapers, mail and door hanger materials in place. Arrange for a trusted friend or neighbor to collect these items for you.

•Know your neighbors! Be familiar with cars, faces and who belongs in your neighborhood.

•Leave different lights on when you leave. Use timers when gone overnight.

•How about a radio with a talk show station tuned in when you are gone?

•Use window stops/pins to prevent windows and sliding doors from being opened.

•Maintain lists of account numbers, valuable item serial numbers and important phone numbers. Duplicate the list and maintain a copy elsewhere. Video or photo your belongings. This aids in property recovery as well as insurance replacement.

•Get an ALARM. Even simple alarms that are not connected to a central system are a deterrent.

•Ask and look for helpful tips. Your local police agency will usually offer home inspections and there are plenty of websites that offer prevention tips and ideas.

•Watch for and REPORT suspicious persons and activity. Most arrests that are made for burglary are not from a report by an alarm company, but rather from a local resident. If you see someone that does not belong in your neighborhood or on a neighbor's property, call the police.

If you return home and believe your home has been burglarized, do not enter the home. Call the police and wait out front. Tell the Dispatcher of your observations and that you have not searched your home. Chances are that the burglar is gone, but you don't want to confront them if avoidable. Entering the home may also destroy certain types of evidence that Officers will be looking for.

Additional tips and information; Crime Doctor. You can also contact the APD Community Outreach Office at (626) 821-2648 for prevention tips and information on Neighborhood Watch.

Never Forget, Officer Albert E. Matthies - Killed in the Line of Duty, EOW July 19, 1927

Tomorrow is the 90th anniversary of the murder of Arcadia Police Officer Albert E. Matthies, the only Arcadia Police Officer to be killed in the line of duty. Officer Matthies was shot while detaining three young men near the intersection of Northview and Foothill in north Arcadia on July 18, 1927, shortly before midnight. Officer Matthies came upon the men inside a vehicle parked on Northview. Officer Matthies was unaware that the men were preparing to conduct a robbery at a business nearby. The rear seat passenger was Frank Miller. Miller pulled out a .45 cal handgun and shot at Matthies, striking him in the neck. Matthies later died from the gunshot wound at 12:07 AM on July 19, 1927.

Leo Bertolina, a friend of Matthies, was riding along that night in the police car. Bertolina was able to scramble away after being shot at and hit with flying glass from windows being struck by gunfire. Bertolina telephoned for additional police assistance. The trio of suspects got away that night but were later apprehended in Los Angeles within days. The three suspects were later convicted of the murder of Officer Matthies and sentenced to prison. The shooter died in prison. The two accomplices were later paroled and died shortly after release. 

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

• Plaque memorial at Foothill Blvd/Northview Ave, Arcadia CA. Northview Avenue has been co-named Albert Matthies Way in honor of Officer Matthies.
• 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
• Live Oak Memorial Park, Monrovia CA
• Arcadia Police Department, Arcadia CA

Arrest of Interest / Crime Trends

Arcadia officers responded to three separate residential burglaries in the south end of town this past Monday evening, all reported after 9:00 p.m.  Not too long after, and in the same general area, an alert resident saw three males entering a yard in the 00 block of Naomi Avenue at about 10:44 p.m. The resident called APD immediately. As officers arrived, the headlights of a parked car adjacent to the property flashed. Officers approached the car and found two men laying down inside the car, one in the driver's seat, and one in the back, both wearing white paper jumpsuits. During the investigation, officers found gloves, a ski mask, flashlights, and other property in the car which was a rental. Coins from Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan were also found in the car. A check of the home did not find any forced entry and the third male was not located either.

Derrick E. Sankers, a 21-year-old Palmdale man, and Antonio R. Watts, a 22-year-old Lancaster man, were both arrested for suspicion of residential burglary and booked at the Arcadia City Jail.

(Derrick E. Sankers / Antonio R. Watts)

Anyone with information on this case or other cases is encouraged to contact the Arcadia Police Department at 626-574-5156. Or, if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” mobile app on Google play or the App Store, or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org. 

Weekly Activity Highlights for July 2 - 8, 2017

https://www.arcadiaca.gov/home/showdocument?id=10111

Weekly Tip - Anonymous Crime Tips Using Crime Stoppers

Crime Stoppers uses a three part approach to preventing and solving crimes. The first part of the program is to empower the community by providing a safe way to report criminal activity. Secondly, Crime Stoppers partners with all forms of media in the Los Angeles region to inform the community on how to anonymously report crimes. Law Enforcement is the final part of the triangle; they follow-up on tips from community members.

The purpose of Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers is to prevent and reduce crime, by forming a partnership among the community, law enforcement and the media to offer anonymity and cash rewards to anyone providing information leading to an arrest, making the community a safer place for all who live or work in the region.

Crime Stoppers encourages members of the community to assist local law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime by overcoming the two key elements that inhibit community involvement: fear and apathy.

NO personal information, phone number, e-mail, IP address, or location is ever requested, saved, traced, tracked, or monitored.

• All tips are handled by a third party service provider
• You will never have physical contact with any law enforcement agency
• Communication is done by an encrypted chat using a code and password
• Up to a $1,000.00 reward can be collected anonymously

Please help us fight crime in Arcadia! To submit anonymous crime tips, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” mobile app on Google play or the App Store, or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org. 

Weekly Activity Highlights for June 25 - July 1, 2017

https://www.arcadiaca.gov/home/showdocument?id=10071 

ROAD CLOSURE: Arcadia Patriotic Festival

First Avenue will be closed to through traffic between Huntington Drive and Santa Clara Streets starting at 11:00 p.m. Friday, June 30th. The closure will be in place through approximately 10:00 p.m. Saturday, July 1st. to accommodate the Downtown Arcadia Patriotic Festival.

Weekly Activity Highlights for June 18 - 24, 2017

https://www.arcadiaca.gov/home/showdocument?id=10041

Weekly Activity Highlights for June 11 - 17, 2017

https://www.arcadiaca.gov/home/showdocument?id=10007

Weekly Tip - Never Leave Kids, Pets, or Older Adults in a Parked Car

With the summer months upon us, now is the time to learn about the dangers of heatstroke and being trapped in a hot car. Learn how the temperature outside may affect the temperature inside your vehicle.

Heatstroke is dangerous and can be deadly. Never leave children, pets, or older adults unattended in a parked car.

Use the following life saving tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to remind yourself and others to check the back seat before walking away from a vehicle. Children mistakenly being left in hot vehicles make up many of the tragedies reported each year.

·         Look Before You Lock. Get into the routine of always checking the back seat of your vehicle before you lock it and walk away.

·         A Gentle Reminder. Keep a stuffed animal or other memento in your child’s car seat when it is empty, and move it to the front seat as a visual reminder when your child is in the back seat. Alternatively, place your phone, briefcase, or purse in the back seat when traveling with your child.

·         A Routine Check. If someone else is driving your child, or you alter your daily routine, always check to make sure your child has arrived safely.

·         A Key to Safety. You know to keep your vehicle locked, but also keep your keys out of reach; nearly 3 in 10 heatstroke deaths happen when an unattended child gains access to a vehicle.

Learn more extreme heat preparedness at www.ready.gov/heat.  (Tips courtesy of Ready.gov)

Weekly Activity Highlights for June 4 - 10, 2017

https://www.arcadiaca.gov/home/showdocument?id=9965

Weekly Activity Highlights for May 28 - June 3, 2017

https://www.arcadiaca.gov/home/showdocument?id=9923

Weekly Tip - Host or Join Neighborhood Watch

Neighborhood Watch is one of the oldest and most effective crime prevention programs in the country, bringing citizens together with law enforcement to deter crime and make communities safer. Neighborhood Watch can trace its roots back to the days of colonial settlements, when night watchmen patrolled the streets. The modern version of Neighborhood Watch was developed in response to requests from sheriffs and police chiefs who were looking for a crime prevention program that would involve citizens and address an increasing number of burglaries. 

 

Launched in 1972, Neighborhood Watch counts on citizens to organize themselves and work with law enforcement to keep a trained eye and ear on their communities, while demonstrating their presence at all times of day and night.

Give Community Service Officer Mike Vercillo a call and ask about joining your local neighborhood watch. Or, consider hosting a neighborhood meeting if there is not an established group near you. CSO Vercillo can be reached at 626.821.2648. 

Arrests of Interest / Crime Trends

Patrol officers arrested 5 suspects in two unrelated incidents on Wednesday, May 31st, for suspicion of burglary. One pair of suspects were seen in the Village area of town, driving in the 1100 block of Encanto Drive shortly after 10:00 p.m. When officers conducted a check of the car license plate, a felony "want" was discovered from another police agency. The suspects and vehicle were stopped and during the investigation, officers found items commonly used in burglaries like gloves, a ski mask, and other property.

Carlos D. Figueroa, a 30-year-old man, and Walter Cardenas, a 40-year-old man, both from Los Angeles, were arrested on felony charges including suspicious of burglary and no bail warrants, and they were booked at the Arcadia City Jail.

(Carlos D. Figueroa / Walter Cardenas)

The second case also involved a vehicle stop in the area of Rancho and Hacienda Roads at about 7:00 p.m. by an officer working a burglary suppression detail. During the investigation, officers contacted three men who were also in possession of items associated with the crime of residential burglary. 

Dhmajh J. Tyler, a 20-year-old man from Pasadena, Noah A. Theophile Smith, a 27-year-old man from Altadena, and Antwon D. Shamburger, a 23-year-old man from Pasadena were arrested and booked at the Arcadia City Jail on suspicion of residential burglary. Two of the suspects were also on felony probation.

( Dhmajh J. Tyler / Noah A. Theophile Smith / Antwon D. Shamburger )

While our staff continues to be proactive in crime prevention, we always request our community to partner with us in our efforts. Remember to report suspicious persons, vehicles, or activity. If you See Something, Say Something.

Anyone with information on this case or other cases is encouraged to contact the Arcadia Police Department at 626-574-5156. Or, if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” mobile app on Google play or the App Store, or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org. 

Weekly Activity Highlights for May 21 - 27, 2017

https://www.arcadiaca.gov/home/showdocument?id=9887

Weekly Tip - Vacation Home Checks

Before you head out of town for vacation this summer, do everything you can to make sure your home is safe while you are gone.  After you get your home ready and ask your neighbors to keep an eye out for anything suspicious, there is one more thing you can do to have extra piece of mind while you are away.

The Arcadia Police Department’s Volunteers in Patrol offer a free Vacation Home Check service. Police Volunteers will keep a periodic eye on your home and conduct random safety checks of your property.  To sign up for this free service, call 626-574-5151 the day before you leave. 

Memorial Day 2017

The men and women of the Arcadia Police Department want to say "Thank You" to all members of the United States Armed Forces who currently serve, or served our country.

To the men and women who served our country and gave the ultimate sacrifice, we salute you!

We urge you to take the time to say "Thanks" to our veterans and to current members of our military, not just today, but everyday.

Please enjoy your holiday responsibly. 

Weekly Activity Highlights for May 14 - 20, 2017

https://www.arcadiaca.gov/home/showdocument?id=9861

Weekly Tip - Think Pool Safety!

Summer is quickly approaching and one of the biggest attractions during this time of year is the swimming pool. Unfortunately, our pools are also one the leading contributors to accidents, injury and death in the home. Children love water and a pool is an inviting place, not only in the summer, but throughout the year for a young child. That is why there are rules and regulations that apply to all residential swimming pools. Fences, alarms, clearance, self-closing gates and latches, are just some of the requirements. Visit your local City website and view the municipal code requirements or call your local City Hall.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has a handout available on-line that gives excellent tips for pool safety. See the City of Arcadia website and other sources, such as the Red Cross, for additional tips and resources available on the web.

In addition to the physical requirements, remember to always be aware of your young childs whereabouts when pools are near. Even if they know how to swim, keep an eye on them. Set rules for your children about not using the pool without adult supervision, keep toys and other inviting objects away from the pool when not in use, always have a phone available near the pool, keep pool gates locked and shut when not using them, do not place ladders or chairs against the outside of a pool fence. Learn basic safety techniques and take a CPR class. Be proactive and prevent accidents before they happen!

Summer time is also a time for outdoor gatherings and hosting a pool party. Never assume your child is being watched. Appoint someone to be the "pool monitor" at all times. Time is not on your side with a drowning victim. Drowning can happen in a matter of seconds. Answering the phone, getting another drink, grabbing a snack, all allow time for a drowning. Be responsible and be always aware of what is happening in the pool! If a child is missing, the first place to look should be the pool. In the event of an emergency, immediately call 9-1-1.