Thousand Oaks City Watch - October 8, 2009

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

Crime Fighters,

I hope all is well with you and your crime fighting families. We are fortunate that the fire this past Sunday did not harm anyone or damage any structures. With that stated, we are sometimes guilty of thinking that a terrible event will always happen to someone else. The recent fires in Southern California are a reminder for everyone to think about what to do before, during, and after any disaster.

For instance, are your important valuables accessible to take with you, what is your evacuation route, do you have emergency supplies (water, food, batteries, clothing, etc), if you get separated, do you know where to meet, do your children know what to do if they get separated or at a different location, what will you do if cellular communications are inoperable etc. Disaster preparedness is the essential component whenever dealing with calamities. Our government continually prepares and plans for extraordinary events and we also should.

During the past few weeks I have read more incidents involving juveniles as suspects or juveniles being arrested for crimes. Whether this is an aberration compared to past years, I do not know but the activity, at least for now, has increased. Most of the juvenile activity involves batteries (unlawful physical force upon another) or some type of theft.  Sadly, it is common for juveniles, especially females, to shoplift at department stores and for juveniles to be involved stealing golf carts. Surprisingly, a 13 year-old was involved in identity theft and a 17 year-old was stealing money from his grandfather. Today’s children want to grow-up faster than we did and they have a lot more negative influences that they are exposed to daily. Let’s take the time and ensure that we prevent these impressionable kids from going awry.

Vacant houses are still an attractive nuisance to juveniles and to the homeless and these sites are being used as places for vandalisms, drinking alcohol, and using drugs. If you have any vacant houses in your neighborhood, please watch for trespassers and continue to report criminal and suspicious activities to our dispatch center, 805-654-9511.

The Thousand Oaks Police Department’s detectives work a variety of cases from petty thefts (anything under $400) to robberies. The detectives work diligently to decipher the crimes and determine exactly happened in order to make arrests and aid in the prosecution of those who are responsible. Despite their best efforts, the detectives still need you help. If you or someone you know has information about a crime, you can submit the information through Crime Stoppers and receive a monetary reward when the arrest is made. A Crime Stoppers’ tip can be made via the telephone at 1-800-222-TIPS or through their website at www.venturacountycrimestoppers.com.

Finally, I need to make a correction about the city council meeting concerning alcoholic energy drinks. The meeting originally scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, has been tentatively rescheduled to Tuesday, October 27. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Take care,

Jim (DeSoto)