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Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council

At the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council meeting on 12/8/21

Posted on 12/09/21

At the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council meeting on 12/8/21, LAPD Senior Lead Officers (SLO) Gloria Caloca (Tujunga) and Cesar Contreras (Sunland) updated attendees on their respective areas:
 
SLO GLORIA CALOCA, TUJUNGA:

• Serious (called "Part 1") crimes are down 11%(!) year-to-date (YTD) from 2020 as of 12/4/21—again making S-T one of the safest areas in Los Angeles.
• Ongoing areas of trouble remain Foothill Blvd. from Tujunga Canyon Blvd. to Marnice, and AutoZone/Valaho area, where Officer Caloca has issued citations and reached out to DWP for help.
• She sees lots of homeless newcomers with no visible reason for that particular uptick.
• However, personal theft is barely down 1% YTD.
• So please arrange for your own safe deliveries. Pick up packages for friends and neighbors.
• Due to holidays, standard carriers may contract unmarked vehicles to deliver packages. Has heard reports that porch pirates follow some of these vehicles, but hasn't seen concrete examples of that method.
• There's no progress yet on apprehending thieves of copper wire, a crime that can extinguish street lights for blocks. Leny Freeman distributed 90 flyers in his area urging residents to light their yards and home exteriors to compensate.

 
SLO CESAR CONTRERAS, SUNLAND:
§  STNC and Neighborhood Watch meetings helped greatly with the recent apprehension of the Shadow Hills armed prowler. SLO Contreras and the Captain's email blew up with tips and concerns.
§  Although our local crime is down, elsewhere in LA crimes like looting sprees, follow-home robbery-beatings, a restaurant's armed takeover robbery, and a pot shop shooting raise concerns.
§  Criminals may be sole operators, but usually it's two or more. Common denominator is that they're more brazen and display handguns.
§  We should all be more aware of our surroundings and alter our habits toward safer ones, e.g., don't visit gas station or ATM at night, don't loiter outside at night.
§  Officer Contreras confesses he's now extra vigilant in his personal life.
§  11 of the 14 LA looters arrested were out of jail immediately. News reports said all 14 were released the same day.
§  He hears comments indicating the pendulum of public opinion, e.g., store owners/managers and residents, is swinging back toward tougher crime prevention and consequences.
§  People blame police for rises in crime because they think LAPD makes laws. But LAPD can only enforce laws that elected officials create or that we vote in. If you want tougher consequences and deterrents against crime, call and write your elected officials.
 
Stay alert.
 
Very best wishes for a safe, and harmonious holiday season!
Jon von Gunten
STNC Rep for Region 3