I hope you are all well and having a nice Sunday evening. I know it has been awhile since you have heard from me, but for the most part it has been pretty quiet and we have been between Senior lead officers. Also I had computer problems but now I am back in business.

First off we have an interim Senior lead so I am going to set up a meeting for late March or early April. I also really want to get as many neighbors to it as possible. We have new neighbors and some who do not have computer access, so when we get a date I will ask help passing out flyers so all neighbors are aware of the meeting.

Since we last spoke there was a break in on Albers. The burglars broke a back window, tossed the house, but only took 2 small items. No prints were left and the police said they knew what they were doing. There was an alarm.

The homeowner gave me the info that follows,

> Here are some things I learned from the police:
>
> 1) Thieves will target a home next to where construction is taking place because neighbors begin to ignore strange, loud noises, expecting to hear them with construction. (Perhaps this is why they felt comfortable breaking the glass window at my house.) >
> 2) They usually work in pairs, or groups of 3. It’s not uncommon for them to be dressed in ties, jackets, even suits. >
> 3) They’ll knock on the door and if no one answers, one will be the lookout, while the other goes to the back of the house and breaks in. There might also be a getaway car nearby. >
> 4) 95% of break-ins occur in homes without alarms (This is not a scientific number, but what the forensics cop told me.) >
> 5) Don’t keep passports and other important paperwork in safes not bolted down. Thieves often will pickup the whole safe and take off with it, hoping for a big payday. But your passports, etc. will be gone forever. If you want to leave them in a fireproof safe that is not bolted down, leave it unlocked. In the event of a burglary, the thieves will usually not care about such documents. >
> 6) If someone knocks on your door, don’t ignore it. Let them know you’re home and that you’re not interested in whatever they’re selling. You can do this without opening the door. >
> 7) Dogs are probably the biggest thing that will make a thief skip your house and go to another. They don’t want to deal with canines. >
> 8) Security cameras are another deterrent, but aren’t always effective. >
> 9) Look out for your neighbors and pay attention to anyone who looks suspicious. >

If you are home during the day keep an eye out, maybe take a walk and see who is in our neighborhood. I always take my cell phone with me, sometimes that camera in it is handy if I see a car I think shouldn’t be there.
Be safe, take care and be aware. I will email when I set a date with our new senior lead.

Risa Bastien

Risa Bastien
risabastien@mac.com
818 901-1432
818 822-6953

Ever think that your iPhone could be a crime-fighting tool? Nowadays, it can both warn you of crime in your neighborhood, but let you report crimes and threatening conditions that you observe.

CrimeMapping offers a Website and an iPhone app that displays crime reports on a map of your neighborhood. Click on your state, find your city and you will see crime locations. Click on an icon and you get the details.

via Crime Reporting Apps – PC Mike’s Tech and Gadget Blog.

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