Thousand Oaks City Watch Update - September 3, 2009

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.

Greetings Crime Fighters!

I hope everyone had a great summer, took a vacation, and had the opportunity to enjoy our local and long distanced recreational attractions. The good news is that the majority of the crimes that we are tracking are still from the thefts from unlocked vehicles, thefts from unsecured residences, and thefts from temporarily forgotten property. Please remind others of the importance of securing personal belongings, as we need to work together to confront crime.

To emphasize this point, my counterpart at the Camarillo Police Department recently sent out an e-mail to his readers. What he stressed was the high amount of residential burglaries that happened during a short time period. All of the residences were entered through unlocked windows or doors. Crooks always look for the easier target and when they have a choice between a locked or unlocked vehicle or between a locked or unlocked residence, guess which one they are going to choose?

With the heat and wildfires throughout Southern California, extra caution should be taken by everyone to prevent a disaster in this area. Unfortunately, some people do not share this sentiment. Over the weekend, unknown persons started a fire in Newbury Park’s north-end business area. The swift response from the fire department prevented the fire from growing and prevented any structure loss. Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 805-494-8201.

Officers have been extremely busy the past two weeks giving out citations for underage drinking parties and thankfully no one was harmed or injured as a result of these parties. The police department is appreciatively experiencing an increase in calls regarding suspicious vehicles and persons. This is fantastic news and means the residents are being more vigilant about criminal activity.

One call involved the watchful ears and eyes of two different residents saw a thief enter an open garage, take items, and ride away on a stolen bicycle. The would-be-thief did not get too far as the vigilant protectors of justice were in hot pursuit along with the victim. The fleeing felon was captured along with the stolen property from this victim and other victims. Keep those garage doors closed, even if you are at home.

Another alert person called in about a vehicle slowly driving around the neighborhood with the occupant of the vehicle holding a small box. Moments later the alert citizen got a phone call and the caller hung-up. We were unable to locate this vehicle but most likely the occupant of the vehicles were trying to capture the electronic, wireless signals of the computer and telephone. Once they capture your wireless signal, the villains attempt to hack into your computer and obtain the valuable information that is stored on your computer. Technology is wonderful and makes our lives better but remember to protect yourself from distant intruders.

Finally, credit goes to Deputy LaSecla. At about 12am he was patrolling an area known for recent thefts from vehicles. During his proactive patrol he came across a suspicious vehicle and made contact with the occupants. One occupant took off running, Dep. LaSecla gave chase and apprehended the person. Unfortunately, two other people eluded custody. The captured person admitted going into backyards and there is no question in my mind that the deputy prevented a rash of overnight burglaries in this neighborhood. An excellent job by Dep. LaSecla.

Thought for the day: “The accomplice to crime is frequently our own indifference.” Jimmy D

Take care,

Jim (DeSoto)