Devonshire Area Operation: Don”t be a Victim NR12397kr

Los Angeles:  Devonshire Area Detectives held a news conference earlier today to discuss theft prevention strategy, “Operation Don’t be a Victim.”   The campaign emphasizes the Operations Valley Bureau campaign, “Lock It, Hide It, Keep It.”  The goal is to bring awareness to the problem of theft and to educate the public on how to prevent from becoming a victim of theft; a crime of opportunity.  If we can remove the opportunity, we can eliminate the crime.

On August 30, 2012, at 9:30 a.m., the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) provided information to the media regarding its partnership with:

Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch Englander, Council District 12;
Cal State University Northridge (CSUN) Police;
California Highway Patrol (CHP);
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and;
AAA Southern Automobile Club of Southern California

Business and residential community members also joined forces for a community outreach specifically targeting the area surrounding CSUN due to its 35,000 plus student body; the equivalent population of a small city.  Each year Devonshire Division review emerging crime trends in the area and then develop innovative strategies to reduce the crime and educate the public.  This year’s effort involved multiple entities and will make a positive impact on the area, reduce insurance claims and save taxpayers millions of dollars in losses.

CSUN’s fall semester began Monday; August 27, 2012, and between August 28 and August 30 the campaign was put into full swing with a threefold approach:

CSUN staff focused on the interior campus with informational pamphlets and crime prevention.
LAPD Devonshire personnel will saturate a 2 block square area surrounding CSUN from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., making contact with students, visitors, community members and business members with a presence of uniformed personnel; including footbeats, bicycle patrol, high visibility black and white patrol vehicles, motor officers, detectives and undercover personnel.  They will focus their efforts primarily in the food courts and business establishments.
The CHP and LAUSD personnel collaborated and also assisted with a presence and educational efforts, working closely with CSUN and LAPD personnel.
All of the educational awareness training was done utilizing the information pamphlets, “Operation Don’t be a Victim, Lock It, Hide It, Keep It”

For further information please contact LAPD Detective III Chris Casey at 818-832-0979, CSUN PD Captain Scott Vanscoy at 818-677-5582 or CHP Officer Leland Tang at 818-207 2331.