Halloween is just around the corner. Please remember safety when it comes to our children. For a complete list of safety tips, please refer to your basic car area newsletters. You can also contact the Mission Area Community Relations Office at 818-838-9860.
On Saturday, September 20th, 2008, Mission Area Community Police Station hosted its 2nd open house. This was a fun-filled day for all who came to enjoy and partake in all the activities. There were displays from our Department's SWAT team, Hazardous-Material Unit, Valley Traffic Division, the United States Marine Corps, and our Mission Area Explorers, who provided us with an outstanding drill presentation. Our Jeopardy youth were also in attendance and provided us with an outstanding display of their boxing skills! I would like to thank Bobby Arias from Communities and Schools who provided us with wonderful entertainment. I also appreciate the efforts of our Mission Area Police Council and Community Police Advisory Board members who provided the community with vital information in regards to their respective duties and accomplishments.
Officer appreciation day is just around the corner, October 29th, 2008. If you would like to assist in this event, please contact our CPAB Co-Chair Melanie Mc Shane at 818-599-1589.
Regarding our crime fighting effort, Mission Area is 1st in Operations Valley Bureau and 3rd citywide in crime reduction. Part I crimes have been reduced by 10.1%. Violent crimes have been reduced by 11.1%. Property crimes have been reduced by 9.9%. Our overall gang crime has been reduced by 11% and homicides have been reduced by 55%. Outstanding accomplishments!
Our Department created E-Policing, which will help implement community policing on the Internet. E-Policing allows geographic areas, senior lead officers or detectives to e-mail crime information, newsletters or any law enforcement information to community members who sign up. All that is needed to sign up is a City address and an e-mail address. E-Policing can help the Department reach its 2008 crime reduction goal, improve communications, and allow geographic area personnel to work smarter and more efficiently. Visit the page on the Department's website at
www.lapdonline.org/e-policing, and encourage community members to sign-up. For more information contact the LAPDOnline Unit at 213-485-1750.
Remember to be aware of your surroundings in your communities and report any suspicious activity that you may be aware of. Our goal is to work together as a team to reduce and prevent crime.
I want to hear your concerns and encourage your participation in our policing efforts. Your questions concerning Mission Area may be directed to me at 818-838-9980 or to Sergeant Adrian Torres, Officer in Charge, Mission Area Community Relations Office, at 818-838-9860. You may also e-mail us at the below listed addresses:
JORGE A. VILLEGAS Commanding Officer Mission Community Police Station
Basic Car 19A1 Sylmar (West of Glenoaks Blvd.)
Senior Lead Officer John Lonergan
Cell phone 818-634-0610 Office phone 818-838-9848.
Welcome to the October 2008 Newsletter for Basic Car 19A1. The long hot days of summer are over and the arrival of autumn means our days are becoming shorter. Children on bikes and others crossing the street will be harder to see. Be aware while driving and place reflective tape on children's bikes and back packs to make them easier to spot. Dressing them in light colored clothing will also help make them more visible. On Halloween large numbers of costumed children will be filling our sidewalks and crossing the streets of Sylmar after dark. Be aware; watch for children who may unexpectedly cross the street. Always accompany your children as they Trick or Treat. Stay in neighborhoods you are familiar with and do not allow your child to eat suspicious looking goodies. Carry a flashlight and do not let them out of your sight for any reason. Stay safe and have a fun time.
Quality of Life Issues:
Are Transients, Squatters or ‘Urban Travelers' taking up residence in your neighborhood? They are trespassing and can be arrested. Community members are our number one source for reporting any suspicious activity, keep your eyes and ears open and help to protect your neighborhood. In an emergency call 911. If you see anyone that looks suspicious or suspicious activity, call 877- ASK- LAPD (877-275-5273) to report the incident, then give me a call with the details 818-838-9848.
Help reduce the call load on our emergency lines- report loud noise and disturbing the peace violations to the Police Non-Emergency number. Contact the 311 operator for all Non-Police Related Services.
Keeping our neighborhoods clean will discourage unwanted and illegal activity. Do not leave beds, mattresses, sofas, or other large items by your trashcans or dumpsters. Call 311 to schedule a time to have them picked up. You don't have to be present and it can be for any address where you spot bulky items.
We are entering "Red Flag Days". For everyone's safety, please clean and weed dried vegetation from your property. Use caution with gas appliances and with open flame. As Smokey says: Remember, Only YOU can prevent forest fires!
Got graffiti? The Graffiti Taskforce for Mission can be reached at 818-838-9810. Please call if you have any questions or information on the graffiti vandalism problems in Sylmar. For graffiti removal, call Sylmar Graffiti Busters at 818-362-8702. Be prepared with the address, surface material and color where graffiti was located.
Exercise safely:
When you exercise, take care to choose well lit, public spaces, walk with others when possible and do not carry valuables with you. Many indoor malls offer a walking program. In Sylmar, we have new walk/jog path along the rail line on San Fernando Road. For more information:www.lapdonline.org/get_informed
Crime update
The last reporting period shows us at a +1 percent year to date. This small rise in crime is due to property crimes. For instance, out of 43 crimes for the recent reporting period, 37 crimes involved burglary-theft from motor vehicle, residential burglary, auto theft, and petty theft. The remaining crimes were aggravated assault, mainly gang crime and 1 street robbery. You can be instrumental for crime reduction by securing your property. Please report any unusual activity.
Opportunity Theft:
Burglary is a crime of opportunity and there are things you can do to protect yourself and your family. Harden the target- that is you and your belongings- forcing them to look for an easier one. You have to take responsibility for your property.Do not leave valuable items including purses, cell phones and ipods unattended in coffeehouses, markets, gyms, and restaurants. If you walk away from it - it may walk away from you.
Leave it, lose it! Even when locked a vehicle is not a safe place to leave valuables. If property is left unattended even for just a few moments, IT WILL BE STOLEN. Always lock your vehicle and secure valuables in the trunk.
When leaving your residence- even for only a few minutes-lock all windows and doors and set alarms, close window treatments to make sure you don't have items of value in plain sight. Put a lock on a gate allowing access to your side & rear yard. Burglars may access second story windows using ladders that are being stored outside. Secure them in the garage. Patio furniture and portable basketball units may also be used.
Traffic Enforcement: Ever year as school is back in session, I get complaints regarding speeding vehicles and double parking at our elementary schools. Follow the rules of the road. Please use extreme caution when driving around our schools. Your child's life is depending on it.
Neighborhood Watch and Upcoming Events:
I encourage all of you to participant in Mission Station's various Community Policing Groups.
October 29 will be Officer Appreciation Day at Mission. If you would like to be involved, please contact Melanie McShane at 818-599-1589 or melanie.mcshane@olsonmax.com.
The Sylmar Block Captains will meet Thursday, October 16, 6:30-7:45pm at the Sylmar Library 14561 Polk Street. You will receive important information regarding community events and crime updates.
Neighborhood Watch groups are an important part of community policing and maintaining an open line of communication between citizens and law enforcement agencies. Join a Neighborhood Watch today or start one. If you are not currently involved in a Neighborhood Watch group, consider attending our monthly Sylmar Block Captain's meeting on the third Thursday of the month at the Sylmar Library. Everyone is welcome.
The Great Southern California Shakeout on November 13, 2008 is an earthquake exercise involving your community and community organizations. For details: www.shakeout.org .
Sylmar Neighborhood Council meeting schedule and events: www.sylmarneighborhoodcouncil.org/
Basic Car 19A7 Sylmar
Senior Lead Officer Charles Chacon
Cell Phone: 818-634-0619 Office Phone 818-838-9847
Hello everyone and welcome to Basic Car 19A7/Sylmar. I hope everyone had a wonderful summer. I just returned from vacation and I am currently working on returning phone calls. I recently attended a Neighborhood Watch Meeting for the Santiago Estates community and want to welcome them to our Neighborhood Watch Team! I am so excited about neighbors taking care of neighbors and your community!
Let's care about our neighborhoods and keep them clean and crime free. If you want to be part of a Neighborhood Watch Group or want to get one started, call me. It is very important to be active in your community and show the criminals out there that "You Care!"
Our Teen program on Friday Nights is going strong and the teens are having a great time. If you own a business and would like to sponsor food for the teens, please let me know!
We have a new Officer assigned to the Graffiti Taskforce at the division. Officer Mondel can be reached at 818-838-9810. Please call her if you have any questions on the vandalism problems in Sylmar concerning graffiti.
Please continue to secure your residences, vehicles, and personal belongings to help detour property crime.
Crime Trends
Property crime in Sylmar has decreased. Let us work together to end the year with a decrease! Grand Theft Auto, Burglaries and Burglary for Motor Vehicle occurred throughout the basic car area. The majority of crime occurred from midnight to 6AM. We can all make a difference by working together to make our city and neighborhoods safer. Please report suspicious people and cars in your neighborhoods.
We want to keep our neighborhoods clean, not only for cleanliness, but it also discourages criminals from wanting to commit crime. A clean neighborhood means that its residents care about their neighborhood and say "NO" to crime. As a reminder, if you do have excess trash and/or furniture items, please call "311" to schedule a pick-up. If your neighbors are placing items on the curb and sidewalk, remind them about "311" and we can all work as a team to keep our neighborhoods clean!
The cars most likely stolen in Sylmar are a Toyota Camry's and trucks. If anyone has information that will help us identify the person or persons involved in the auto thefts, please give me a call.
Remember there is no excuse for domestic violence. Talk to a friend, pastor, or your local support group for relationship problems prior to any violence. You can always call a domestic violence hotline for referrals and assistance 24 hours a day at 1-818-887-6589.
Remember to check your credit rating at least twice a year for any identify theft information. Contact your local bank, credit card, and social security office, if any discrepancies exist in your credit rating.
Traffic Problems
If you have any traffic problems, please call me so that we can resolve the issue and get our Officers to issue citations. Let me know about any more stop signs that people are not stopping for: especially if they are near a school. Please slow down and remember to wear your seat belt at all times. Remind your friends, neighbors, family, and especially children about the dangers of jaywalking.
Be safe and help your neighbors.
Upcoming Events
Sylmar Block Captain's Meeting will be on 10/16/08 at 6:30 pm at the Sylmar Library located at Glenoaks Blvd and Polk St.
Teen Program at Sylmar Park/Friday Nights at 6 pm.
If you have a Question or need information:
Remember "It's one call to city hall" call 311for city-related issues and desired information. For non-emergency calls you can dial 1-877-ASK-LAPD (1-877-275-5273). So until next time, be safe and take your time getting where you need to go.
Basic Car Area 19A23
Senior Lead Officer Mike Braun
Office Phone 818-838-9843
Cell phone 818-634-0519
Email: 27025@lapd.lacity.org
Current Events
Mission Division held its annual Open House on September 20, 2008. It was a non-stop flow of curious community members all day. The next big event at Mission Station will be Officer Appreciation Day on Wednesday October 29th. If you are interested on how to help with this event, please contact Officer Richard Stocks in the Mission Community Relations Office at 818-756-9860. This month's Neighborhood Watch meeting is scheduled for October 8th, 2008. The meeting will be held in the Community Room at Mission Station and begins at 7:00 p.m. Remember, Neighborhood Watch is a Crime reduction program that does work. Our Neighborhood Watch continues to grow! Keep up the good work and remember to get your neighbors in your community more involved.
Crime Update
The Part-1 crime rate in Basic Car A23 has a decrease that constantly fluctuates between 22% and 24% from month to month. There has not been a report of a violent crime in over four weeks. All the current Part-1 crimes are property related thefts. These are Burglary from Motor Vehicles, Grand Theft Auto, Burglary and random theft. There were only thirty Total Part-1 crimes this past month which were all property related. There is really no pattern to any of the crime right now except the Residential Burglaries. This is the biggest problem right now that is occurring in the Granada Hills and Knollwood area, north of Rinaldi Street. All of these Residential Burglaries are occurring sometime between 9:00 am and about 3:00 pm. I have ordered increased patrol along with numerous Burglary Task Force Operations in an attempt to apprehend these suspects.
This is when Neighborhood watch becomes vital. I really need the help from the community to spread the word and make everyone aware of this crime trend in your neighborhood. Always be aware of suspicious activity in your neighborhood and if you see a stranger and suspect them of criminal activity, don't be afraid to call 877-275-5273, that's (877) ASK-LAPD. For them to be aware of the problem in the area, I have gone as far as educating the Postal Carriers, UPS and Fed Ex Drivers and even Time Warner Cable Installers to be on the lookout for suspicious activity also. School is now back in session and students have been known to skip school and commit crimes in the community. We have been running Truancy Task Force Operations on a weekly basis to apprehend Truant Students in an attempt to reduce crime.
Lastly, always lock up your home, especially during the day when you leave for work, to go shopping, etc. I know that a lot of homeowners like to leave their windows open to air out the house during the day, but do not get into that habit as it provides an easy point of entry for burglars.
Upcoming Events
19A23 Monthly Basic Car Meeting
2nd Wednesday of every month at 7:00 p.m.
Mission Area Community Police Station Community Room
Bermuda Senior Mobile Home Park
2nd Thursday of Every Month at 4:00 p.m.
Meet in the Mobile Home Park Social Hall
Mission Hills Neighborhood Council – MHNC@verizon.net
2nd Tuesday of every month.
San Jose St. Elementary School
14928 Clymer St. Mission Hills
Basic Car Area 19A61 North Hills and Mission Hills
Senior Lead Officer Janine Angeles
Office Phone 818-838-8946 Cell Phone 818-325-7749
E-mail Address: 30392@lapd.lacity.org
Happy Halloween! Mission Hills and North Hills West are in need of community members to join our Mission Area Community Police Advisory Board (CPAB). These meetings provide a forum to exchange information and actively make a difference in your neighborhood. For more information, contact Officer Richard Stocks at 818-838-9860.
Crime Update:
Our crime has decreased to -7% from 08-17-08 to 09-13-08. The following are the crime statistics: (2) aggravated assaults, (16) burglary/theft from motor vehicles, (15) burglaries, (8) grand theft autos, (5) robberies, (17) thefts and (0) homicides. The most common day for a crime to occur is on Tuesdays. Most of these crimes occurred between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. During this time frame, the most common model of vehicle stolen are sedans with no specific make.
Crime Tips:
I am receiving a lot of complaints from community members who live near schools. Please remember not to double park and be aware of pedestrians. Please pay attention to your speed in school zones. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated!
Please continue to lock and secure your vehicles when leaving them. Do not leave anything inside of your vehicle, including mail with your information on it, lap tops, cash etc. Victims are still reporting these items being stolen out of their vehicles. Theft is a crime of opportunity. If there is nothing to take, the suspect will move on.
If you have not done it yet, please sign up for " E-Policing." This website is available through LAPD's Web Page www.lapdonline.org. By signing up, you will receive any important information regarding community events, crime updates or crime alerts.
Upcoming Events
19A61 Basic Car Meeting
4th Tuesday of every month at 7:00 p.m.
11121 Sepulveda Boulevard, Mission Hills (Mission Community Police Station Community Room)
Community Police Advisory Board (CPAB)
3rd Wednesday of every month, 6:30 p.m.
11121 Sepulveda Boulevard, Mission Hills (Mission Community Police Station Community Room)
Mission Hills Neighborhood Council Meeting
2nd Tuesday of every month at 7:00 p.m.
14928 Clymer Street, Mission Hills (San Jose Elementary School Auditorium)
North Hills West Neighborhood Council
3rd Wednesday of every month, 7:00 p.m.
16111 Plummer Street, Building 22, North Hills (VA Hospital)
Basic Car Area 19A85 (Panorama City and North Hills East)
Senior Lead Officer Karen Reade
Office Line 818-838-9842
Cell Phone 818-422-3183
Email: 32851@lapd.lacity.org
Greetings
I am back from a mini vacation, and can't wait to get back to helping "our" community regain some of the momentum it experienced at the beginning of the year with high decrease in crime. We are slowly slipping and losing our gains.
Crime Trends
Crime is still down, but only 19%. Last month it was down 20%, and the previous month it was down 24%. Let's not lose our edge, and keep it down! All Part I crimes are down (Homicide, Rape, Robbery, Assault, Grand Theft Auto, and Burglary from Motor Vehicle). The only crime which is up is Residential Burglaries. Please remember to lock your windows and doors. If you don't have a dog or alarm system, get one. If you have an alarm system, use it.
I noticed that while I was away, crime in the Van Nuys Blvd Corridor increased substantially. It also increased between the areas of Plummer St and Tupper St. If you are a resident of these areas, take extra care not just of yourselves, and your property, but of your neighbors as well. That is what true "neighborhood watch" is all about. Get involved in helping decrease crime and increase the quality of life.
Fall has fallen upon us, and with it comes the change in time ("Fall Back" one hour). This means less sunlight and more darkness, and possibly more opportunities for criminals to take advantage of victims. Be vigilant and cautious. Keep a light on in your home or porch.
Upcoming Events
Officer Appreciation Day is on October 29th, all day. This is a great event and a great opportunity to get involved with LAPD. For more information, please call our Community Relations Office at 818-838-9800.
North Hills East Neighborhood Watch meetings are held at Mission Division, the 4th Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Next meeting is Oct. 27th.
Panorama City Neighborhood Watch meetings are held the 4th Tuesday of the month at the Panorama Recreation Center at 8600 Hazeltine Ave, at 7:00 p.m. The next meeting is on Oct. 28th.
Basic Car Area 19A97
Senior Lead Officer Anna-Marie Izzo
Office Phone 818-838-9844
Blackberry 818-634-0718
Email: 32458@LAPD.LACITY.ORG
Crime Update
Part-1 crime is still in the negative! Year to Date Basic Car A97 has reported 521 Part-1 crimes –16 less than last year. That is 90 crimes less than last year. The following are the crime statistics from 8/24/08 to 9/20/08: (2) aggravated assaults, (13) Burglary from Motor Vehicles, (6) Burglaries, (15) Auto Thefts (4) Robberies and (7) misc. Thefts. (Which includes shoplifts from Wal-Mart, Rite Aid)
Current Events
The Safer City Initiative Unit continues to address both criminal and quality of life issues in the area. The unit will operate in North Hills and Panorama City area until further notice. The boundaries of the unit are Nordhoff Street to the north, 405 Freeway to the west, Roscoe Boulevard to the south, and Van Nuys Boulevard to the east. SCI and Patrol and Gang Officers (which include our Bike Patrol) have been working very hard to address any issues in the community, please continue to give them your support. Please join me at the Safer Cities Initiative Meeting (October 15th @ 9:30 a.m.) so we can address any problems in your neighborhood.
Neighborhood Watch / Apartment Watch Programs
We need you to be part of our team and be an extra set of eyes and ears for us in the community. By working together, we will make it harder for criminals and criminal activity to exist in Panorama City. Many violent criminals have been removed from our streets thanks to the involvement of our neighborhood watch members and other residents in the community.
I have sent out a New Newsletter to the community members in Panorama City. If you want o be added to the mailing list or to E-policing online, send me an E-mail with your information.
Councilman Richard Alarcon's Office (CD7) and Senior Lead Officer Green are meeting with "Madres and Compadres" the first Thursday of the month at Panorama City Elementary in the parent center. The guest speakers will be Officer Mendoza and Sanchez. Officers will be giving a presentation on the programs available for juveniles here at Mission Station. Hope to see you there.
Upcoming Events
19A97 Monthly Basic Car Meeting
2nd Wednesday of every month – 7:00 p.m.
Mission Community Hospital, 14860 Roscoe Boulevard
Brimfield Avenue Neighborhood Watch
Brimfield Avenue / Community Street
September 2008 / to be announced
Panorama City Neighborhood Council
4th Thursday of every month – 6:30 p.m.
Mission community Hospital, 14860 Roscoe Boulevard
Madres and Comarades
Panorama Elementary in the parent center
October 2008
valley bureau 
