Echo Park Security Association Newsletter

Winter 2012

EPSA w P.O. Box 26201 Los Angeles, CA 90026 w Tel: (323) 860-9914 w Email: epsa@echoparksecurity.comOnline: www.echoparksecurity.com

1

Senior Lead Officer Updates

In January 2012, Select Patrol begin theconversion from a paper-based reportingsystem to an online format, which will notonly eliminate paper daily activity reportsbut also make our information immediately accessible toour members. Our software provider is Silvertrac Real TimeReporting of Irvine. Silvertrac is a strategic alliance partnerof our trade association, CALSAGA.

Realtime reporting is a tool which is quickly becoming theindustry standard. The software essentially combines severalof the technologies we have put into service over the pastfew years, such as image transmission and patrol documen-tation. Silvertrac also provides the enhanced capabilities ofincident tracking. Contacts with people and events can beeasily recalled from the security officer’s Android device.

Most of all, our members can look online to see EPSA officers’activities without having to wait for a written summary. Whenthe conversion process is completed in late March, I will pro-vide the easy steps to access the information you want.

Your guard,

Darin

Select Patrol Goes Realtime

By Darin WilliamsSelect Patrol Founder/President

Community Safety Meetings

Your regular monthly opportunity to discuss localcrime concerns with LAPD officers.

The one-hour meetings will take place: w January 18th w February 15th w March 21st

at 2:00 p.m. in the Greater Echo Park ElysianNeighborhood Council (GEPENC) office at Sunsetand Echo Park Avenue, behind Bank of America.

Merry Christmas. Many thanks to all the EPSA members who con-tributed to the bonus for our Select Patrol officers. Your support means alot to them. At a festive get-together at a member's Angelino Heightshome, officers Ed, Jessie, Raul and Michael each received a bonus ofseveral hundred dollars.

Rampart LAPDn Rampart SLO Lou Ford praised what is known as

Constitutional Policing, which promotes a transparentpartnership between the police and the community that has proven successful in lowering crime rates.

n Residential burglaries are up in Angelino Heights, with most crimes occurring between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Often the criminal enters through an unlocked window, unlocked sliding glass door or unlocked garage door. Locking all doors and windows when you leave the houseshould be your rule. Keep records of the serial numbers of your electronic and computer equipment in a safe place. An easy way to do this is to write the serial number on the invoice.

n LAPD does not want you to con-front a suspect, but if you see anything suspicious, phone 911. One recent Angelino Heights sus-pect was seen and ran off; he was caught later.

n The yearly Rampart Community-Police SLO Summit took place at St. Anne’s Conference Center. In addition to reports from the captains, the Counter-Terrorism Unit’s Craig Adams and Detective Mario Mota of the Burglary and Scam Artist Crimes unit each gave very informative talks.

Rampart SLO Louis

Ford

Continued

NORTHEAST LAPDn At the October Community Safety meeting, Northeast

SLO Bobby Hill reported that a search warrant for Fargo Street netted two arrests.

n An adult caught breaking into Walgreen’s received a three-year sentence.

n Honda Accord is the most stolen vehicle—when its key wears out, any key will start the ignition.

n A warning about yet anothernew carjacking method: The carjackers leave a flier on the back window of a parked car and wait nearby until the owner returns, unlocks the car and starts the engine. When the driver notices the flier in the rearview mirror and gets out of the car to remove it, the carjackers quickly jump into the car with the engine running and drive off with not only the car but also thedriver’s personal’s belongings. If you see a flier on yourrear window, drive away and remove it later.

EPSA w P.O. Box 26201 Los Angeles, CA 90026 w Tel: (323) 860-9914 w Email: epsa@echoparksecurity.comOnline: www.echoparksecurity.com

2

Echo Park Security Association Newsletter w Winter 2012

EPSA Block Coordinator MeetingsAt quarterly block coordinator meetings, EPSA rep-resentatives receive updates on membership andpatrol activities. All EPSA members are welcome toattend these meetings, which are held at WilliamsHall on the Barlow Respiratory Hospital campus.The next meeting is January 15 at 10:30 a.m.At our last meeting,we voted to closeour EPSA checkingaccount at the endof 2011, since mem-bers now pay SelectPatrol directly.

Reminder: Be sureyour check is payableto Select Patrol, notEPSA.

SLO Bob Hill

An EPSA member makes a point at

the last block coordinators meeting

Community News & Safety Thanks to activist Rosie Betanzos for the following adviceand suggestions.

Loud noise—Something that can spoil any day, at any time.A radio, DJ system, acoustic music, loud party, yelling andscreaming — whatever causes the noise, if you can hear it inyour home and it disturbs your peace, call the police andreport it as a disturbance of the peace. We have a legal rightto the quiet enjoyment of our homes. If the noise cannot beheard at the front of the location, let the LAPD operator knowthat. Be as specific as possible.

Loitering—When people hanging out outside a business orhome cause a disturbance by screaming and partying on thestreet, call 1-877-ASK-LAPD.

Gunshots—Always call 911.

Gangs—Still active in Echo Park. If you see gang membersdrinking on the street, flipping their hand signs to passingtraffic or pedestrians, or if you feel your life or someoneelse's life is threatened, call 911. Let the police know if it is agang- related incident, as a different unit is dispatched.

It is up to us to make a difference. We have the power tochange a situation from bad to good, and an obligation toshare what we know. Don't wait for your neighbor to call it in.Together we all have a better chance to have our quality of lifeupheld and our peace and quiet respected.

In addition to calling the police, share the address in questionwith Select Patrol, EPSA and your neighbors. Get others tohelp and follow up with calls to the appropriate agencies.

One last note, be patient. Yes, it does sometimes take a longtime to get a non-emergency or emergency operator on theline, but your information can make a huge difference.

Telephone Numbers to Know:LAPD:Emergency: 911 Non-emergency situations: 1-877-ASK-LAPD Spanish line: 213-928-8222Northeast Senior Lead Officer Bobby Hill: 213-793-0760Rampart Senior Lead Officer Lewis Ford: 213-793-0775Your City Council Field Deputies:Alejandra Marroquin (Eric Garcetti's office): 323-957-4500Richard Reyes (Ed Reyes office): 213-473-7001