Thousand Oaks City Watch Alert - 7/26/08

Here is the latest "City Watch" alert from Deputy Jim DeSoto of the Thousand Oaks Police Department. If you are interested in receiving these updates directly from him via email, click here for more information.

T.O. City Watch Team,

I am reminded of a well-known scenario: the last seconds of the school clock slowly winds down until the last second expires and thus begins a new time of season. The school children run out of the school in celebration of the summer and intent on finding new activities to occupy their time. This picture is common but it has been playing non-stop in our city. The patrol officers, especially on weekends, are spending an enormous amount of time responding to juvenile related problems. These problems range from drinking alcohol, vandalisms, party calls, trespass issues, and a broad-spectrum of annoyance calls.

Many neighborhoods, HOAs, and businesses are affected. I am dealing with some HOAs who have had a constant problem with juvenile mischief and crimes. Your neighbors, community, city, and police department need your help to reduce the amount of calls and the number of problems the juveniles have been causing.

Most, if not all the problems, are occurring in the evening hours. Please, if you have juvenile children (under 18), be cognizant of their activities, with whom they are with, where they are, and what they are doing. Be aware that curfew, regardless of the day, is from 10pm to 6am, and the minors can be cited. The parents of the minor can receive a civil penalty up to $2500.00 per violation. This city ordinance can be found under Thousand Oaks Municipal Code 5-8.02.

As a suggestion, if you know any minor that has idle, free time during the summer, have that person volunteer at any nonprofit organization. Countless organizations exist that would welcome any assistance. The minor will gain invaluable experience, gain new knowledge, create and build new skills, and find that volunteerism is rewarding. In addition, the minor will build upon their character, dependability, and responsibility.

The City of Thousand Oaks and the Thousand Oaks Police Department is committed to improving the lives, communities, and future opportunities of our youth by building and fostering safe and healthy lifestyles for them. We believe that a vibrant engagement will strengthen our young people and help them develop and hone essential skills for future employment and active citizenship. As a community, let’s reach out to our children and help them reach their full potential for personal growth and success.

Let us discuss vehicles. The police department is still taking a number of theft reports involving vehicles—locked and unlocked. Crime has no geographical or societal boundaries. Anyone can be a victim of a theft from vehicles and some learn the hard way that vehicles should be kept locked even in one’s own driveway. Having a locked vehicle does not mean one is immune from theft. Many vehicles are forcibly broken into because of the personal property left inside. I will stop preaching this message when I see a drop in the amount of thefts from vehicles.

Since we are on the subject of vehicles, if you have a trailer or mobile home, do not think your vehicle is protected against crime. Someone, who likes to climb objects, has been making forcible entries into mobile homes and trailers via the skylight. Because the damage and entry point is made on top of the structure and is usually not visible from the ground, discovery of the crime is not immediately recognized. Just be aware of this threat.

Mostly everyone, whether one is living in an apartment, condo, house, or mansion, believes in the old adage, ‘A man’s home is his castle.’ We all want to protect our ‘castle’ but remember that part of the castle is your garage. Many garages have two entry doors—one typically to the side or backyard of your house and the other connecting to your residence. Keep both entry doors locked and close your garage door when they are not in use. An open garage door invites theft from your property, theft from vehicles parked in the garage, and allows full access to your residence. If you leave your residence and want to keep your property, keep all doors locked and windows closed. The locks and windows are ineffective unless they are properly used and, after all, they are there for your protection and safety.

Help us fight shape our youth and protect your valuables.

Jim