A PUBLICATION OF THE CITY OF CERRITOS AND THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

P.O. Box 3130 Cerritos, CA 90703 safercerritos.com

CERRITOS NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH REPORT

HARDENING THE TARGET

There were 81 Part I felony crimes reported to the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station in November, a slight increase compared to 79 reported in October. Violent assault crimes continue to occur infrequently in Cerritos, with three such felonies reported last month. All three involved victims and suspects who were acquainted with one another. Robberies are also occurring at record low levels and, as with assaults, only three were reported the entire month. Property crime remained fairly consistent in November, but car

burglaries and auto thefts did show an increase the last week of the month. As always, residents are reminded to practice simple prevention strat-egies to protect themselves and their property.

‘Tis the Car Burglary SeasonThe City of Cerritos is averaging 3.8 car

burglaries each week since the beginning of 2014, which is a reduction from last year’s weekly average of six from January through November. This is no time to relax, however, as the holiday season means more packages and

valuable items left in cars that will be irresist-ible to thieves. Remember these crime preven-tion shopping tips: Travel with a companion if possible; do not wear expensive jewelry or carry lots of cash if you don’t have to; and never leave items visible in your car whether it’s parked at a mall or in your driveway.

RobberiesThere were three robberies reported in

November, a decline from five in October. Two robberies involved suspects and victims who were

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Community Safety in Cerritos: A Year-End Review

Monthly Crime Summary: November 2014

The Cerritos Sheriff’s Station and City of Cerritos Community Safety Division staff have worked hard this past year to provide the best possible public safety services. Despite media reports that would lead you to think otherwise, crime in most categories has continued to decline in Cerritos during the past 12 months. Violent crime is infrequent in Cerritos. There were no homicides in 2014, and the last homi-cide in Cerritos occurred in 2009. There were two reported sexual assaults this past year, and both suspects were boyfriends of the victims. Robberies have increased by approximately one-third compared to 2013 – from 33 to 45 through November – but most of the increase can be attributed to shoplifters fighting with loss prevention officers when detained. General ag-gravated assaults ranged from domestic violence reports to arguments and fights where a variety of weapons were used. There were no reports of assaults using firearms, and rarely is an assault reported where the suspect and victim are not acquainted. Violent crime in Cerritos would have decreased by approximately 16 percent during the period of January through November if it were not for the modest increase in robberies.

Property-related crimes have also been on the decline this past year. Residential burglary continues to be of concern and is the crime that receives the most active enforcement by the Cerritos Sheriff’s burglary suppression team. Deputies have made numerous arrests of profes-

sional burglary crews, and residential burglaries have declined approximately 17 percent this year. Over the past three years the number of residential burglaries in Cerritos has decreased by 35 percent. This certainly doesn’t mean our residents should let their guards down. California’s prisoner realignment program and the recent passage of Proposition 47 will place more people into Los Angeles County’s already crowded jail system where no one is incarcer-ated for very long. Residents are encouraged to remain vigilant (if you See Something, Say Something), consider installing a monitored burglar alarm and keep valuables in a safe deposit box.

More good news can be found in the category of vehicle burglaries. So far in 2014 car break-ins have declined approximately 38 percent. Although vehicle burglary is the most frequently committed felony crime in Cerritos, it is also arguably the most preventable. The majority of vehicle burglaries occur in commercial or public parking lots. Never leave items such as purses, wallets, cameras or laptop computers in the passenger compartment of your car when it’s parked. If you must take them with you, place valuable items in the trunk prior to leaving your house. Better yet, don’t take such items at all if the only option is for you to leave them in the car when you are away from your vehicle.

Auto theft is the last major category of felony crime to report on for 2014, and the news here is

also good. For a variety of reasons, the number of vehicles stolen in Cerritos annually has been on the decline. Most cars are stolen in public parking lots, and a seemingly disproportionate number are 1990s era Honda vehicles. In 1995, there were 997 vehicles reported stolen in Cer-ritos. By the end of 2014, that figure is estimated to be about 190, which is an almost 80 percent reduction since 1995 and a 20 percent reduction compared to 2013.

As the year comes to an end, the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station and City Community Safety Division are pleased to report that the crime rate in Cerritos in most categories continues to decline. Educating residents about crime trends and prevention strategies remains as important as ever. Tell your neighbors about the Cerritos Virtual Block Club and encourage them to join at safercerritos.com. Consider starting a neigh-borhood watch group in your neighborhood and follow these steps to help reduce crime: Stay vigilant and aware of crime trends in your city and neighborhood; routinely practice simple strategies found in past “Neighborhood Watch Report” issues for protecting yourself and your property; and never hesitate to call the Cerritos Sheriff’s dispatch center at (562) 860-0044 when you see suspicious people or vehicles in your neighborhood. Remember, safer communities start with one involved resident who is willing to See Something and Say Something.

December 2014

To join Cerritos Neighborhood Watch, call the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station/

Community Safety Center

at (562) 916-1266.

MONTHLY CRIME SUMMARY: November 2014

(562) 916-1266 Cerritos Community Safety Division

(562) 860-0044 Cerritos Sheriff’s Station

although two front windows were entered as were two garage doors. Most burglaries resulted in the homes being ransacked and a variety of items being stolen. Thieves made off with jewelry, laptop computers and camera equipment. The best deterrent to residential burglary is the installation of a monitored alarm system, followed closely by having neighbors who watch out for each other and who immediately report suspicious people and vehicles to the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station.

Commercial/Other Structure Burglaries

Commercial burglaries declined by two in November compared to the previous month (nine versus 11). The reduction in commercial burglaries would have been impressive this past month were it not for the activity at the self-storage facility on Valley View Avenue. On four occasions suspects cut locks on locker doors and stole items such as cameras, watches and a bag of coins. Two of the locker thefts involved suspects cutting locks on adjoining lockers and then cut-ting holes in drywall to enter the next locker. Two other commercial burglaries involved gymna-sium lockers – one at a fitness center and the other at Cerritos High School. At the high school, a suspect cut locks on eight lockers in the boys’ locker room and took six cell phones and some cash. At the fitness center, cash was removed from the locker, but there was no damage to the lock so deputies could not determine how the suspect entered the locker. The other burglaries involved businesses, one a dentist’s office, where several new televisions, cash and checks were stolen.

Vehicle Burglaries There were four more vehicle burglaries in

November than were reported in October (15 ver-sus 11). Only four of the burglaries occurred in residential areas and the other 11 took place in public parking lots. Three people lost third-row seats from their vehicles and all three vehicles were GMC SUVs parked in commercial parking lots in various parts of the City. Five people lost their wallets or purses when thieves shattered a window and broke into their cars. These losses could have been prevented by simply not leaving purses and wallets in vehicles.

Grand Thefts There were 16 grand thefts (property valued

at more than $950) reported last month, the same as the previous month. An additional crime involving identity theft was also reported, but not counted in this total. This crime oc-curred between last February and mid-October. Thefts ranged from a snatch-and-grab at the local AT&T cell phone store on South Street to gifts left unattended at a birthday party. An employee stole copper wire from his company, seven ladders were stolen from Charter Com-munications service trucks, 20 batteries were stolen from trucks parked at a business on Piuma Avenue and deputies took custody of two shoplifting suspects detained at the Target store on South Street. Other major thefts involved former tenants who made off with a washer and a dryer, miscellaneous merchandise stolen from Nordstrom, a bicycle stolen at the regional park and a new desktop computer stolen from a possi-bly unlocked car parked in the victim’s driveway.

Vehicle Thefts A slight increase in vehicle thefts was noted

last month (19 in October and 21 in November), although three of these were attempts. The vast majority of vehicle thefts (17) occurred in com-mercial parking lots, and seven of these vehicles were older model Hondas (one was a ’95 Acura). Four vehicles were stolen at the Los Cerritos Cen-ter (one was a forklift), two vehicles were stolen from the lot at Walmart in the Cerritos Towne Center, two vehicles were taken from other areas in the Cerritos Towne Center and two vehicles (an ’04 GMC Yukon and an ’08 Escalade) were stolen from the Sheraton Cerritos parking lot.

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acquainted. The first involved a case at the auto mall on Studebaker Road where the suspect (an acquaintance of the victim through a mutual friend) attempted to carjack a vehicle that the victim had just had serviced. No weapon was seen and the victim was able to escape and re-port the incident to the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station. A second robbery was reported where the victim and suspect knew one another. In this case a woman was arguing with her date when he initially slapped her cell phone from her hand and then later returned and grabbed it from her and fled. The final robbery involved a shoplifter who fought with a loss prevention officer outside of the Home Depot on Alondra Boulevard. The suspect was able to flee before deputies arrived.

Aggravated Assaults Three aggravated assaults were reported City-

wide in November and all involved individuals who were acquainted. A man reported being cut on his arm by a woman he claimed was in possession of his tablet computer. The victim refused to name his assailant or provide an exact address of where the crime occurred. The second assault involved a man who was attacked by his sister’s boyfriend over a dispute about family dating rules. The victim suffered severe injuries to his face. The third and final assault occurred outside of a residence when a female asked two other women to leave a party. A fight ensued and the victim was punched in the face and her head struck the pavement. There are no suspects in custody in any of the reported assaults (or in the robbery cases).

Residential Burglaries Residential burglaries declined by two

compared to the previous month (14 versus 16) and one was an attempt only. No particular area of the City was targeted, although the far eastern portion did have a small increase in the second week of the month. During November, only three residential burglaries occurred south of South Street. Thanks to alert residents, six burglars were arrested in November during the commis-sion of two separate residential burglaries. Rear windows were the most frequent point of entry,