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2009 Neighborhood Watch Crime Review
The general news media didn’t report too much in the way of good news during the twelve months of 2009. Matter of fact, many consider 2009 one of the most “challenging” over the past 75-years. There is one area of 2009 that we can look back on and be proud Alhambrans and Neighborhood Watch members. In 2009 our overall crime rate dropped a significant 7.5%.
As the Alhambra Police Department’s Crime Prevention Specialist, I am particularly giddy over the fact that residential burglaries have steadily decreased each year since 2005, as have car thefts. As I write this good news, I am trying to keep myself from dancing around the office and shouting from the police department’s roof top! We have proof that all our efforts we have put into Alhambra’s Neighborhood Watch program is working and paying off big time! For everyone who has hosted, for everyone who has attended a Neighborhood Watch meeting, for everyone of you who picked up a phone and reported suspicious activity in your neighborhood, for all of you who took the time to close and lock-up your doors and windows before you left for work, school, or run errands, this success belongs to you! You are doing all the right things that are making Alhambra safer for our family, friends, and neighborhoods. I am just gushing with pride over every single, dedicated Alhambra Neighborhood Watch member and group!
Want to know how big of an impact you are making? Here are the numbers…in 2005 there were 344 residential burglaries reported. Compare that with 2009 when 248 residential burglaries were reported. I got the calculator out and punched in the numbers - that is nearly a 28% decrease in residential burglaries in just four years!! Car theft is down an amazing 45% during this same four year period. Consider how much our housing and population have grown in these four years and well…”we done real good!”
We are certainly headed in the right direction but we don’t want to stop and take a rest just yet. Let’s see how close we can come to being a crime free community by completely taking over the business of crime….and I mean putting out of business every crook or thief who dares attempt to open shop in our great community. I challenge all Neighborhood Watch members, Alhambra residents and business persons to keep your focus on crime prevention and stopping criminal activity during this New Year…and the whole decade of 2010. I’m more energized than ever and I hope you are too! Ready? Let’s do it…..
The 2009 Part One Crime Stats
Overall there were 2,466 Part One Offenses in Alhambra during 2009, a decrease of 7.5% from the 2,666 actual offenses reported in 2008.
Part One crimes are considered “major” crimes and are reported to the FBI for inclusion in the national, Uniform Crime Report. Crimes having the “Part One” designation are:
- Murder - Representing a 100% decrease from 2008, there were no murders in Alhambra in 2009.
- Rape – Seven (7) more rapes were reported in 2009 for a total of 15. Compared with 8 rapes reported in 2008, this represents an increase of 87.5%
- Robberies – A total of 132 robberies in 2009. This is a decrease of 15.38%.
- Assault – 442 assaults were reported last year, compared to 419 in 2008. This is an increase of 5.49%
- Residential Burglary – of Alhambra’s approximately 30,500 residences, 248 fell victim to residential burglary in 2009. This is a decrease of 13.5%. Commercial burglaries are down by 52%.
- Theft – down 4.25%
- Grand Theft Auto - down 16.44%
A Warning About Auto Burglary and Theft From Vehicles
Up until now all the news has been good. Now it’s time for my “frowny face”. Since December 1, 2009, there have been a significant number of vehicle burglaries and thefts occurring throughout the city; on an average of a little more than one a day. These thieves are targeting vehicles parked in alley ways, apartment carports, driveways, and residential streets. One report notes a possible suspect vehicle as a 1990’s white, Chevy pick-up truck with black trim and a white camper shell. The thieves are going after all the usual stuff folks leave behind in their cars like purses, wallets, cell phones, cash and coin, GPS systems, gym bags, and Nerf footballs! (Thankfully not too many people leave their Nerf footballs in cars otherwise who knows how many more of these auto burglaries we would have?) The message of our story is, don’t leave stuff in plain sight when you leave your vehicle parked. A few more things to consider:
- Do your best to leave your vehicle parked in well lit areas where there is steady pedestrian traffic.
- Take a good look around the area where you park your car. See anyone looking suspicious by peeking into car windows? Is a driver of a car changing to several different parking spaces in the same lot?
- Lock your car doors and windows nice and tight! Do not leave windows cracked for ventilation. Windows left even slightly open can be forced downward allowing a thief’s arm and hand room enough to unlock the car door or simply reach inside to take your stuff.
- Be alert to car alarms going off. This time it may not be a false alarm but a crime in progress.
- If you see any unusual or suspicious activity going on, alert a security officer or call the Alhambra Police Department at (626) 570-5151 from your cellphone. Take the time to be a good eye witness and note descriptions of suspicious people (age, gender, race, clothing, oddities) and cars (year, make, model, color, oddities like stickers and body damage, different color paint, etc) and when possible record license plate numbers on a piece of paper.
Speaking of cellphones, do you have the Alhambra Police Department phone number programmed into your cellphone? The number is (626) 570-5151. You never know if and when you are going to need it, so program the number now while you are thinking about it.
And Now a Message From The Alhambra Fire Department…
The Alhambra Community Emergency Response Team Training classes continue. Are you interested in getting involved with your community? Do you want to help your neighbors in the event of a major disaster? If the answer is “Yes”, then you want to become a member of CERT.
Community Emergency Response Team Training (CERT) is a comprehensive 21-hour training class designed to train individuals in the area of disaster preparedness, utility control, light search and rescue, first aid and fire suppression. The classes are completed in three-hour increments over a six week period. The hands on training will prepare the CERT team member with the skills and ability to help themselves, family members, neighbors and the community following an earthquake or other major disaster.
This is an exciting way for the Fire Department and the community to work together for a common cause. Best of all, the training is FREE to all interested parties. Alhambra Fire Department will be conducting the training free of charge, starting on January 27th. The training will be conducted at Fire Station 71, 301 N. First St from 6:30 pm-9:30 pm. The training will be held on Wednesday evenings for six consecutive weeks.
If you are interested in attending the next CERT training session on January 27th, please contact Alhambra Fire Department CERT Recruitment at (626) 588-CERT or cert@alhambrafire.org
For further information, you may visit alhambracert.org or cityofalhambra.org
Crime Prevention Events For 2010
Pull out the calendars! Here are some things to look forward to:
· Annual Neighborhood Watch Block Captains Meeting. Topics will include the upcoming Census, Neighborhood Activity, and Community Programs for Neighborhood Watchers. February date to be announced soon.
· Citizens Police Academy. Do you like watching Law and Order on television? Would you like to know about the reality of law and order in our community. Then you probably would really enjoy the eleven, Wednesday night sessions of the Alhambra Citizens Police Academy. Sessions will begin in the Spring. If you are interested, call the Crime Prevention Office at (626) 570-5177 now and we will reserve a spot for you.
· Alhambra Night Out Against Crime. Tuesday, August 3, 2010. Almansor Park Baseball Fields. Game time 6:45pm. If you miss this year’s baseball game between the Alhambra Little League All-Star Baseball Players and the Alhambra Police Officers Baseball Team, it truly will be a crime. This 2010 game is already billed as a grudge match. Last year the Little League All-Stars beat the Police Officers and the Police Officers are ready to redeem themselves. They are already training and practicing. Their game face is on. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this game! No need to hunt down a ticket scalper and pay hundreds of dollars, the game and all activities are free. There will also be a free raffle with awesome prizes. Put big red circles on your calendar for August 3, 2010’s Alhambra Night Out.
· Your Neighborhood Watch Meeting. Think of a date, time, and place and call me, Sharon, in the Crime Prevention Office at (626) 570-5177 for help planning a meeting with your neighbors. Annual Neighborhood Watch Meetings are a great way to meet new neighbors, catch up on neighborhood activities, update neighborhood maps, and to renew that neighborhood spirit. I promise it will be painless. And to make things easier for you, I will make the invitations, arrange for a fabulous speaker, and bring all the handy, handouts. I have a special prize for the first ten neighborhood watchers who schedule a 2010 Neighborhood Watch meeting for their neighborhood group. Pick up the phone now and be one of the first ten!
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