Police respond to concerns on crime activity
With residents feeling alarmed by recent increases in criminal activity, local divisions of the Los Angeles Police Department are taking additional measures to combat the problem.
Speaking at the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council Jan. 10 board meeting, Wilshire Division senior lead officer Dave Cordova acknowledged a 10 percent increase in crime from last year.
In response, Wilshire Division recently reassigned 10 officers to help patrol the area. And it’s not just Wilshire. Cordova said that hundreds of officers last month were re-assigned as patrol units in divisions across the city.
“People want to see cars out on the street,” Cordova said.
“We do not have exact numbers yet, but over 300 officers went back into the field starting Jan. 21,” public information officer Norma Eisenman confirmed to the Chronicle.
According to Olympic Division senior lead officer Joe Pelayo, the Mid-Wilshire area is experiencing an increase in residential burglaries and property crime.
“I’ve never seen activity like this before,” he said.
In an email to community leaders, Pelayo urged residents to get more involved, and he’s even willing to train interested neighbors on how to spot suspicious activity.
“Olympic Area is working towards building a stronger relationship with the community by making it easier for residents to report suspicious activity within their neighborhoods.”
Officers are trying to utilize social media such as NextDoor, Pelayo said, to collect information about suspicious activity, and also to use it and other tech-based platforms to spread important updates on police enforcement.
What, exactly, is suspicious activity? Pelayo said to keep an eye out for the following:
• Truant juveniles with backpacks during school hours.
• Loiterers in the area.
• People checking car doors, looking through windows.
• People knocking on doors to residential properties.
• Vehicles following you while you are walking.
• People acting as lookouts.
• Suspects being dropped off and then picked up again at the end of the street.
•Solicitors presenting an unknown charity.
• People that sit in their cars for long periods of time.
• Vehicles without front or rear license plates.
“Whether you’re walking your dog, taking in nature or out jogging during the morning or afternoon hours (when most burglaries occur), you can serve as our eyes and ears in reporting suspicious persons and activity,” said Pelayo.
To help concerned residents learn how to better spot and report suspicious activity, Pelayo is in the process of planning a training day for the community.
If you want to sign up or learn more about the training, contact Officer Pelayo at 31762@lapd.lacity.org.
Category: News
