Sunland-Tujunga & Nearby Neighborhood Watch Notes, 20 September 2022
Tujunga Senior Lead Officer (SLO) Gloria Caloca opened and emceed the meeting which reached 26 attendees!
Comparing the month to last year, she cited a 10% increase in violent crime. Robberies—thefts using violence, threat or intimidation—are 10 this year and 7 last year, but they're also higher citywide.
She is working on a special project at 9900 Commerce.
Officer Caloca reported working a large Hollywood event and was surprised how nearly everyone's face was stuck in their cell phone, completely oblivious of their surroundings — and any troublemakers with eyes on purses and phones. That's one way robberies occur!
A resident said their troublesome new neighbor has prompted longer-term residents to get to know each other better and stay watchful! Officer Caloca encouraged us all to get to know our neighbors—and advise them when we have extended houseguests! The resident expressed a commonly heard frustration: The loooong wait for LAPD Dispatch to answer!
SLO Caloca exhorted all residents to PLEASE report crimes and adverse conditions like transients' garbage, etc. "No reports from your area sends a false message and false stats that all is well where you live, when maybe it's not!"
We congratulated our now-permanent Sunland SLO Diana Figueroa on her new posting! She jumped in to report Sunland's total property crime is up 14% and burglaries are up 33%. But, again, we are lower than most of San Fernando Valley and certainly the rest of LA.
She mentioned there will be a Sunland Park cleanup on 29 September! HooyaAH!
Fenwick residents alleged that a nearby RV harbored dope and other suspicious activity. One said that RV is now gone but others parked in its spot. Residents have illegally put up caution tape to control parking.
There was a complaint that moving vans park on Foothill. However, they usually move before exceeding the 2-hour limit.
This week we met Jasmine! She provides Foothill with admin, tech support, and enables Zoom meetings. We hope to see more of her! Future Neighborhood Watch meetings will introduce us to more Foothill Station employees, detectives and officers!
Foothill Prosecutor, Attorney Mark Ross, gets involved when usual policing hasn't worked, or when the law is vague or evolving.
He cited recent changes to LAMC 41.18 which now prohibit sitting, sleeping, lying, storing personal property on a public right of way. Its new subsection (e) expands that prohibition within 500' of a daycare or school. BUT see LAMC 101.05 for our city's sometimes daffy definitions of which facilities the law applies to! It doesn't apply to a daycare that's in a residential area. It applies only to K-12 schools, not colleges or trade schools.
► For now, call violations of 41.18 into our SLOs who will advise the person, but can't yet cite. Even so, absent full legal instructions, they'll always encourage problem people to fix things now to avoid a citation later.
► Mark Ross reiterated that a vehicle used as a residence cannot be towed. They can be towed if unoccupied—but it's hard to schedule a tow because there's little space in the yards to store large vehicles and they're hard to resell.
Sgt. Jesse Ojeda added that LAPD meets with Council District staffers about RV situations. But, until Mayor Garcetti rescinds/cancels his order to let sleeping RVs lie, LAPD must ignore them unless the inhabitants break other laws, e.g., biohazard, traffic hazard, or interfering with a City-Permitted activity like street improvements.
► Social media was alive with assertions, questions and speculations that a dead body was removed from a local bridge. Nope! After much calling and research, Officer Caloca learned that a person with a medical condition was transported. No coroner required.
A resident asked about transients camping, partying and leaving trash near fire roads along Verdugo Crest Line. He should contact the property owner, the only entity who can report the trespassing.
If the owner is messing up the property, only Building & Safety can deal with any unsafe conditions. HOWEVER, Officer Caloca said she polices potential fire-causing conditions very seriously!
Residents around Wentworth complained people were driving high-speed radio-controlled model cars in the street. When the resident asked the hobbyist to desist, she was met with antagonism. SLO Figueroa invited the resident to contact her with details.
Both SLOs prefer we use EMAIL for our notices, questions, etc., to them. That enables inclusion of videos or photos and ensures easy
forwarding if necessary.
►► Useful Contacts:
In any emergency, always call 9-1-1! To get a non-emergency police car, call Dispatch: 1-877-ASK-LAPD ► TUJUNGA Senior Lead Officer Gloria Caloca: Cell: 818-634-0754 | Off.: 818-756-8866 | 35755@lapd.online ► SUNLAND Senior Lead Officer Diana Figueroa: Cell: 818-634-0705 | Off.: 818-756-8866 | 36838@lapd.online ► MARK ROSS, Neighborhood Prosecutor: 818-374-7580 | mark.ross@lacity.org ► LAPD VOLUNTEER MATTERS: Officer Milton Ramírez: 41625@lapd.online ► EMAILS are the best way to contact them. Send photos if possible, or come into Foothill Station at 12760 Osborne St., Pacoima | 818-756-8861. ► CD7 Mary MacAdam: mary.macadam@lacity.org |
© Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council. All rights reserved.
© Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council.
All rights reserved.
Accessibility
Privacy Policy