Crime

I'm writing in rebuttal to the Dec. 11 letter “How to keep Walmart out” in the News-Press & Leader. First, the writer forgot to mention the lady at Walmart in Tulsa who was arrested for allegedly mixing meth in the store. That being said, crime is all around us. The people who were shot up in Hollywood by a guy who snapped, and the guy in Rialto shot and killed at Taco Bell in April after he handed over his wallet and valuables. Then there's the alleged shoplifter in the Burbank Kmart who used a police officer's gun against the officer and his partner, and the CVS on San Fernando that has been robbed.

CHANDLER PARK DISTRICT — Residents took a stand on Tuesday night. A colorful cluster of canopies and balloons beside the Chandler bikeway drew between 200 and 300 Burbank residents for the "National Night Out Against Crime," the Burbank Police Department's effort to promote public safety and community ties with police. "It's designed around encouraging people to get together as a single unified group and stand against crime," Burbank Police Sgt. David Gabriel said. "It has as its primary focus Neighborhood Watch, because that is where neighborhoods work together as neighbors and also with local police departments to do something about making neighborhoods safer."

Amber Willard MEDIA DISTRICT WEST -- Police are looking into who is responsible for etching a 6-inch swastika into the paint on the back door of a Burbank health food restaurant. An employee at Juice Heaven at 345 N. Pass Ave. noticed the marking Sunday and reported it to Burbank police Monday afternoon, said Lt. Robert Giles. The vandalism is being considered a hate crime because of its nature, Giles said. The store's owner, Sassi Mizrahi, said the incident was not reported when the marking was discovered because he was out of town.

BURBANK — The Burbank Police Department and Burbank High School officials are conducting a joint investigation into a hate crime that occurred this month in a campus classroom. The perpetrator — who police believe is a student, but not necessarily from the school — reportedly scrawled anti-Semitic epithets on a teacher's whiteboard on two separate occasions during a one-week period, Burbank Police Sgt. Matthew Ferguson said. The teacher is Jewish. Incidents like these become a police matter once they cross over into racial or religious territory, and any alleged perpetrator would be arrested, Ferguson said.

CITY CENTER ? Burbank?s National Night Out ? the program that since 2002 has been bringing the Burbank community together under the banner of uniting against crime ? is scheduled to once again take hold Aug. 4. The Burbank event has grown steadily over the years, going beyond one organized city event to several individual neighborhoods participating. ?We have separated the night into two areas,? said Burbank Police Detective Peter Eirich, the community resource officer. The first is an event sponsored by the city at the Chandler Bikeway, a 2-mile bike path within the former Chandler Boulevard railroad right-of-way, running from Mariposa Street to the city border of Clybourn Avenue.

Ryan Carter Violent crime is down in the city compared to last year, but a 63% increase in identity theft has police warning residents to be vigilant about protecting their personal information. Det. Matthew Ferguson said the ease of the crime and its minimal punishment after conviction probably contributed to the increase in identity theft, which is on the rise throughout the country. The department's crime analyst, Lt. Kevin Krafft, agreed. "More of the criminal element is getting involved in identity theft, believing they get more bang for their buck with less risk of being caught, " he said.

Ryan Carter Law enforcement officials are encouraging local neighborhoods to unite against crime. Burbank police are inviting the community to participate in the 20th Annual National Night Out Against Crime from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 5 in neighborhoods throughout the city. It would mark the first time the city has participated in the event. Neighborhoods around the country, including Glendale, participate in the event, which is staged to promote crime awareness and prevention, neighborhood safety and to send a message to criminals that citizens are united against crime, Police Chief Thomas Hoefel wrote in a letter to local Neighborhood Watch captains.

Ryan Carter BURBANK -- Burbank has been rated the 55th safest city out of 327 around the country in a recent study. The eighth annual Morgan Quitno "Safest City" rankings were based on 2000 crime numbers reported by local law agencies to the FBI, said Scott Morgan, the publisher for Morgan Quitno Press. The Kansas-based firm compiles and publishes state and city statistics for researchers. Each of the study's cities had at least 75,000 residents.

Rosette Gonzales Earle Blais, mayor of Burbank from 1953 to '57 who helped rid the city of organized crime, died March 8, 2005. Blais, 84, ran for office on a reform ticket encouraged by a crime prevention citizens' committee. Blais' dedication to preventing crime was steadfast but risky. His family often received threats, his son and daughter recalled. Beverly Blais Moosmann remembered the family being invited to appear in a city parade when she was a child.

At a time when police agencies across the nation are buckling under the pressure of city budget cuts, this year?s National Night Out events ? in which residents are encouraged to take a more active role in policing their neighborhoods ? took on a whole new meaning. This year, Burbank police suffered a $1.34-million hit, resulting in the loss of dedicated officers for park patrols and retail crime. In Glendale, budget cuts have had more severe impacts. Six part-time park rangers got pink slips, and last month, three sworn Glendale police officers received termination notices that could take effect if the fiscal situation doesn?

Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 11 L.A. neighborhoods, including Sun Valley, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database . Eight neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Sun Valley (A) was the most unusual, recording 10 reports, compared with a weekly average of 3.5 over the last three months. Full report/database > >

I'm writing in rebuttal to the Dec. 11 letter “How to keep Walmart out” in the News-Press & Leader. First, the writer forgot to mention the lady at Walmart in Tulsa who was arrested for allegedly mixing meth in the store. That being said, crime is all around us. The people who were shot up in Hollywood by a guy who snapped, and the guy in Rialto shot and killed at Taco Bell in April after he handed over his wallet and valuables. Then there's the alleged shoplifter in the Burbank Kmart who used a police officer's gun against the officer and his partner, and the CVS on San Fernando that has been robbed.

The Burbank Police Department quietly unveiled a new website tool for residents and the media this week. Since Sunday, daily arrest logs have been available on Burbank's website for the first time, marking a significant step in building out the Police Department's website, officials said. “It contemporizes the department,” Acting Police Chief Scott LaChasse said. “So many other agencies are doing the same thing. There's no reason for us not to do it.” Posting daily arrest logs on the website had been a goal that was “outstanding for a long time,” he said, adding that he has been working on the request since he arrived in January 2010.

Burbank police officials on Tuesday said the department was at “maximum deployment” as shopping mania sweeps the city's major retail centers, but urged shoppers to take precautions to avoid becoming victims of crimes. Other officials, including Burbank Mayor Jess Talamantes and state Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge), also called on the public during a news conference Tuesday to heed warnings on everything from holiday scams to making sure pets don't ingest toxic chocolate or mistletoe.

Burbank Police are stressing the importance of prevention to avoid theft and other crimes, noting that nine vehicles were “rummaged through” Tuesday and Wednesday, seven of which were unlocked or had windows down. The vehicles were in the area of the 600 to 900 blocks of Pass Avenue and Rose Street, police Sgt. Darin Ryburn said. “Only two vehicles had any indication of forced entry,” he said. There were no significant losses, police said, noting coins or sunglasses were among the items taken.

Crime on Metro trains and buses has been dropping over the last five years and is lower than in many of the communities they serve, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's news blog. The Source , addressing the issue after a fatal stabbing last month on the Red Line in Hollywood, reported 2.77 “part one” crimes committed for every million boardings in 2010 on Metro trains and buses. Part one crimes are murder, rape, assault, robbery, burglary and theft.

Interaction between members of the public and law enforcement officials is often limited to traffic citations and the occasional stolen bicycle report. But on Tuesday they mixed and mingled at dozens of spots across Glendale and Burbank as part of National Night Out, a grass-roots movement aimed at improving neighborhood safety. “I think it is cool because it is really developed by the community,” said Glendale Police Officer Renae Kerner as she handed out stickers to children at Pacific Park.

Burbank police issued a citywide crime alert Tuesday evening after a rash of vehicle burglaries in west Burbank late last week. Possibly 18 vehicles were hit by the same burglars between the 300 and 1300 blocks of North Frederic Street, North Lincoln Street, North Myers Street and North Lamer Street on the crime spree Jan. 6 and 7, said Sgt. Robert Quesada. "Most of the incidents occurred in the evening, and it seems like they were going right up the streets," Quesada said.

Burbank Police issued a citywide crime alert Tuesday evening following a rash of vehicles burglaries in West Burbank late last week. Possibly 18 vehicles were hit by the same burglars between the 300 and 1300 blocks of North Frederic Street, North Lincoln Street, North Myers Street and North Lamer Street on the crime spree Jan. 6 and 7, said Sgt. Robert Quesada. “Most of the incidents occurred in the evening and it seems like they were going right up the streets,” Quesada said.

Despite the ongoing course correction underway at the Burbank Police Department, officers still managed to clamp down on crime, with the city experiencing an overall drop in 2010. Even the spike in the number of prostitution-related arrests is heartening, as history has shown that prostitutes and their pimps thrive in permissive environments. Despite the positive crime trends — one that may have also benefited from a corresponding drop in serious crimes last year in our behemoth neighbor, L.A. — Burbank police continue to face their own challenges, and demons.