Crime

Glendale PD Alert on Auto Burglaries

[GPD] The following is an APB Bulletin from the Glendale Police Department. Please note that none of these crimes have been reported in our canyon. We just want everyone to know what is going on in Glendale.

Glendale is experiencing an increase in burglaries to vehicles that contain tools and equipment.  There have been 23 of these incidents this year, mostly in the North, West and South Command areas, between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Victim vehicles were usually Chevrolet or GMC cargo-type vans that were parked on the street.  The most common method to enter the van was to punch through a door lock.  Vans with “cages” in the cargo area were still broken into.  Commonly stolen items are hand and power tools and equipment, along with GPS units that were left in the vehicle.

In one instance, a male in dark clothing was found committing a burglary to a work van.  He ran to a nearby waiting vehicle (a gold 4-door sedan) and escaped.

If you drive a vehicle that contains tools and equipment, you can reduce your chance of being victimized by parking in a garage or other secured area.  If this is not possible, park off the street in a driveway, particularly if the van is parked overnight at your residence.  An vehicle alarm would help significantly, and always remove valuables from sight.

Lastly, record all makes, models and serial numbers for tools and equipment.  Frequently, victims of vehicle burglaries cannot provide adequate information on stolen items.  If you become a victim, serial numbers can be entered into a nationwide database.  When a burglar is caught and items recovered, serial numbers can be checked to see if the item was stolen.

As always, be a good witness and call the police if you see anything suspicious.

To learn more of the police department's Area Command strategy, please follow this link: http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/police/area_command.asp

[Updated] Criminal Activity in Our Canyon Calls for Vigilance

I got an email last week from a canyon resident recounting a story they experienced recently at their home:

On Friday morning 12-3-2010 about 11AM a green jeep pulled up in the cul-de-sac on our block of Delcourt.  Two men got out and walked up the middle of the street in front of our house and walked into our open garage.  My daughter just happened to be standing in the kitchen to witness this and threw open the kitchen window and yelled for the men to "get the hell out of our garage".  The men took off running toward the intersection of Hollister and Edwards.  Upon seeing this, the green jeep parked on Delcourt "peeled" out, quickly stopped in the intersection to pick up the two men and fled.  Our daughter called 911 and alerted the police.  They responded immediately to our house and searched the canyon, but the men were long gone.  The police reported that there have been a number of residential burglaries reported in Glenoaks Canyon and that they have increased their patrol in recent weeks and will increase it even more with this incident.

About 1 month ago, the house across the street from us was burglarized.  It was on the market to be sold and the burglars cut the lockbox off the front door and removed the keys and let themselves into the house.

Let this be a reminder to us all that even though we all feel very safe in our canyon, there are people that come in to our canyon that do things to disrupt our comfort and safety. Please keep an eye out for this kind of activity and call the police if you see anything of concern.

[UPDATE] I spoke with Glendale Police Officer Sue Shine earlier this week and wanted to clarify some facts. According to police reports, the burglary mentioned above in the empty house was actually a false alarm. Police responded to the alarm but found no forced entry and nothing out of place. Officer Shine also wanted me to relay that while it is important that we always be vigilant, crime is very light in our canyon compared to other areas of Glendale.

As you can see at crimemapping.com, our canyon is a very safe sanctuary. Our police officers frequently patrol our canyon and help keep it that way. If you want to be alerted via email about crimes in our area, you can sign up at the crimemapping website to receive email alerts.

Information on Door-to-Door Solicitors

There has been an increase in door-to-door solicitations in the area. The Glendale Police Department urges all of us to be aware that some of these solicitors may not be legitimate and has issued an Information Release about these Door-to-Door Solicitors. The memo can be found here: Glendale Police Information Release

Information on Door-to-Door Solicitors

Date Posted: 23 November 2010

There has been an increase in door-to-door solicitations in the city.  While this is legal, a permit must be obtained for any type of door-to-door advertising or soliciting in Glendale.

The larger concern is solicitors fraudulently seeking money for a charity or product they do not represent or will not deliver.  Some solicitors may identify themselves as living in the neighborhood when they may be not.  People can also pose as solicitors to avail themselves to unattended vehicles and homes.

Legitimate solicitors operate in Glendale, but they require a permit issued by the clerk’s office.  Advertisers who leave material at your home also require a permit.  Religious and non-profit organizations are allowed to distribute materials in the city without a permit as long as they are not seeking donations or selling a product.

If you are contacted by a solicitor, ask for their organization ID (or letter of introduction) and their city-issued permit.  If they cannot provide either, close your door.  Never let a stranger into your home.  You can contact the City Clerk’s office during normal business hours to verify a permit at (818) 548-2090.  You can alert the police to suspicious soliciting at (818) 548-4840. If the solicitor is aggressive or you feel endangered in any way, please call 911.

Below is a sample of a city issued permit.  The name and address of the permit holder will appear on the actual permit, and the words “File Copy” will not.

To learn more of the police department's Area Command strategy, please follow this link:

http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/police/area_command.asp

or copy and paste it into your browser's  URL window.

East Command Town Hall Meeting on November 3, 2010

The Glendale Police Department is holding an East Command Town Hall meeting on November 3rd from 6:30-8:00pm at Wilson Middle School Auditorium (1220 Monterey St.).

Stop by and participate in the discussion and find out what is going on in the East Command? •    Meet the Chief •    Get to know your Area Commander •    Learn about burglary prevention and what you can do to avoid being a victim •    Question and answer session with our Traffic Division (Speeding? Parking?  What’s on your mind?) •    Afterward, enjoy a snack and talk to our police officers one-on-one

Pick up important phone numbers and learn how to start a Neighborhood Watch.

Light refreshments will be served.

RSVP and questions:  Contact Sue Shine-Lead Officer East Command (818) 937-8769 or: sshine@ci.glendale.ca.us

Vehicle Burglaries Reported in Canyon

In the past few days there has been a rash of vehicle burglaries in the area below the entrance of Glenoaks Canyon: 1 in the 1600 Block of Royal, 2 in the 500 Block of Woodbury Rd, 2 in the 1900 Block of Eden Ave and 1 in the 1500 Block of East Glenoaks.  A witness in one of the burglaries described the suspect vehicle as a dark blue older model Volkswagen GTI further described as having tinted windows and a “racing type” exhaust system.  The witness stated he has seen the GTI in the area the past few nights and fears they are casing the neighborhood. Please share this information with your members.  If they see suspicious activities in their neighborhood please have them call 911.

Detective Barba is handling these cases and can be reached at (818) 548-3127

APB Glendale Launched

The Glendale Police Dept. has launched a FREE subscription email program known as “APB Glendale.”   Residents can sign up for police email notifications that will range from up-coming police events to requests for information on crimes and wanted suspects.  This faster system of information exchange helps the public to be safer, and provides the police department with an additional tool in enlisting the public’s help in solving crimes. To subscribe to APB Glendale, visit the police website at http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/police/email_list_signup.asp.

Mountain Lion Sighting

Mountain Lion Glendale officials announced today that a mountain lion was spotted February 15 in the Verdugo Mountains. The large lion was seen by officers in a Glendale Police Department helicopter while the animal was sunning itself in a clearing. Officials have not said specifically, where in the Verdugo mountains, the sighting took place. Mountain lions are a natural part of the region’s environment. They usually hunt alone, at night. Lions are very powerful and normally prey upon large animals such as deer. Generally, mountain lions are calm, quiet and elusive. An adult male’s home range can span over 100 square miles; an adult female has a range between 20 – 60 square miles.

In response to the sighting, Glendale officials will be posting signs and flyers at various locations including Deukmejian Wilderness Park and Brand Park.  Representatives of the State Fish and Game Department have also been notified.  Officials say this is the first mountain lion sighting this year.

Mountain lions are generally described as tawny colored with black-tipped ears and tail. Adult males may be 8 feet long from nose to end of tail and generally weigh between 130 and 150 pounds. Adult females can be 7 feet long and weigh between 65 and 90 pounds.

If You Encounter a Mountain Lion:

•    Do not hike or bike alone (go in groups, with adults supervising children)

•    Keep children close (keep children within your sight at all times)

•    Do not approach a lion, they want to avoid a confrontation

•    Do not run from a lion (make eye contact, pick up children without bending down)

•    Do not crouch down or bend over

•    Do all you can to appear larger (raise your arms, open your jacket, wave arms slowly, talk loudly)

•    Fight back if attacked (throw rocks, use sticks, remain standing)

For additional information, please contact the Glendale Park Rangers at (818) 334-9042.

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Glenoaks Canyon Residents Evacuated

On Saturday 12/27 many residents in our canyon were evacuated from their homes from around 9:00 PM to 2:30 AM due to the discovery of the second car rented by Bruce Jeffrey Pardo (the Santa Claus Killer) parked on Glenoaks Blvd.  The car was parked in the 2300 block of Glenoaks Blvd. near Tryon. For those nearby, it was a very unsettling and unexpected experience. While it turned out that there was nothing dangerous in the car, it was our diligent canyon neighbors that called police about the vehicle which had been suspiciously parked there for some time. To read more about the incident, please visit these pages at the Glendale News Press: www.glendalenewspress.com/articles/2009/01/01/news/gnp-pardo29.txt

www.glendalenewspress.com/articles/2009/01/01/publicsafety/gnp-pardo31.txt