S-T Neighborhood Watch, 2/18/14 Report by Jon von Gunten

¡ FOOTHILL DIV. TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT GETTING TOUGHER! ¡ CRIMES AGAINST VEHICLES UP; GANGS "VERY, VERY MINIMAL" ¡ CALLING LAPD GETS LONG- & SHORT-TERM RESULTS. Pat Kramer, STNC's Region 1 Representative, called the meeting to order shortly after 6:30PM, immediately introducing LAPD Officer Ivan McMillan, Sunland's Senior Lead Officer (SLO) pro tem. Off. McMillan and about 25 audience members discussed MANY topics: NO MORE TRAFFIC VIOLATION WARNINGS! Because Foothill Div. had 12 fatalities in 2013, traffic law enforcement will be much tighter. Tickets, not warnings, will be issued even for small violations. (No more "California stops.") If you report a speeder, drunk driver, etc., stop following the vehicle once you have the necessary information. In the event of accident, your presence could be painted as contributing to the accident, making you liable. Ideally, LAPD hopes for an accurate license plate, description of the vehicle, AND a description of the driver—so the driver can't say they just picked up the car from someone else. IN NO CASE are you allowed to break the law to gather this info. Of course NEVER endanger yourself or anyone. Off. McMillan says LAPD's "Lock It, Hide It, Keep It" campaign addresses local vehicle thefts and thefts from vehicles. Roll up your windows, lock vehicle, hide everything of value, use a steering wheel lock and a locking gas cap. He distinguished these perpetrators as "criminals of opportunity." Even if not looking for a vulnerable vehicle, they'll strike if they see one. The guilty have often been students or the homeless. LA is "The stolen car capital of the world." OTOH, criminals who steal vehicles' catalytic converters are pros on the prowl who carry tools to saw off your converter. It may be sold to another victim, or its valuable platinum-, palladium- or rhodium-coated parts may be sold. Replacement can run to hundreds of dollars. As fire season approaches, be sure your property is clear of brush and vehicles. If LA Fire Department has sent ample notices that have been ignored, LAFD may legally assign a costly crew to clear your brush! They can request LA DOT to tow vehicles that might impede fire response, at significant expense to owner. A woman who was involved in a hit and run in late 2013 thanked LAPD for apprehending the man who hit her. She got a partial license plate at the time, then regularly patrolled Foothill Blvd., where she spotted the man and then gave his license plate and description to LAPD. "It is possible to get justice in this town," she said. Per Off. McMillan, LA's budget problems will prevent installation of more speed-bumps and perhaps even streetlamps. Use 911 to report a crime in progress, including small ones. If unknown and unsavory people are simply loitering suspiciously around your home, they are committing the crime of "loitering." Feel free to call, but not 911. Mention, if it's true, that they may be watching homes for burglary opportunities. Many in the audience complained that low-level crimes or situations brought no—or very slow—police response, which discourages reporting. Off. McMillan agreed this was a problem. It's often caused by high call volume or emergencies. He pointed out, however, that every call is logged into a database. Over time, this raises police awareness of that type of crime in your area, which justifies greater police attention in the future. So CALL! Solutions to slow response to emails and calls to Senior Lead Officers were offered: - If the officer is absent, email software or voicemail should advise the sender of the absence and forward the message to an on-shift SLO. - An unchanging phone number and email address should belong to whoever is our current SLO—NOT to each individual officer, who is too often transferred. There is a 72-hour parking limit on motor homes or trailers on public streets. In no case may someone live in one that is publicly parked. Call LAPD to remedy. One reason "medical" marijuana shops are difficult to close down is that their licenses are portable. When caught in a violation, owners pay the fine and move to a new location—where a new complaint must begin. It wasn't known why the license itself is not immediately revoked for infractions. Questionable "massage parlors" are popping up. Even though the number of LAPD officers is at an all-time high, coverage may be light due to days off, injury, desk or trial duty, or disciplinary review. Gang crime in Sunland-Tujunga is at an all time low. It is "very, very minimal" in our two communities. The meeting adjourned shortly after 8:00PM, with Off. McMillan receiving everyone's applause and thanks. His knowledge, helpfulness and grace under fire are highly appreciated!