Officials: Community Is Key to Reducing Crime

Arcadia consistently registers crime totals that fall short of national and regional crime rates. Some crimes, however, showed a slight increase in 2010, and city officials shared their thoughts on what residents can do to protect themselves and their community.

ACTION is a neighborhood watch group made up of police, firefighters, city officials and members of the public. The acronym stands for Arcadians Caring Together Improves Our Neighborhoods, and according to the Arcadia Police Department website, the group's intent is to educate the public on ways they can prevent crime. Healthy living and disaster preparedness are also part of ACTION's scope.

Local police regularly host charity and holiday events, as well as information sessions at the Arcadia Community Center, 365 Campus Dr. These presentations are connected to ACTION, as well as other neighborhood and community groups, said Chief of Police Robert Sanderson.

ACTION held its first public meeting in February 2006, after officials noticed a lack of interest in Arcadia's previous, more piecemeal neighborhood watch format, said Linda Garcia, special projects manager with the City Manager's office. Garcia estimated that city agencies have distributed more than 5,000 copies of the "ACTION Handbook," which contains useful information on safety and dealing with disasters.

"Personal vigilance" is the weapon of choice when it comes to combating residential property crimes such as burglary, Mayor Peter Amundson said. About 20 more burglaries occurred in 2010 compared to the previous year.

"The people of Arcadia have been very good about calling the police department when they observe something or someone suspicious in their neighborhoods," said Sanderson, a law enforcement veteran of 28 years whose entire career has been with Arcadia PD.

City Manager Don Penman reiterated: "My advice to our residents is to continue to keep their eyes open and report suspicious activity."

According to police, one such instance happened Nov. 9 on Baldwin Avenue. A young man knocked on an Arcadia resident's front door and asked if she had seen his lost dog, arousing suspicion. He then drove away in a gray SUV, which prompted the resident to call police.

Responding officers soon found the same SUV backed into the driveway of another home on Baldwin and determined the vehicle was stolen. Upon investigation, they found 26-year-old Joshua J. Jacobs of La Crescenta hiding in the backyard after allegedly breaking into and ransacking the home in an attempt to steal items such as handguns, jewelry and computer equipment. He was arrested and charged with residential burglary and auto theft.

Efforts to promote community involvement in crime prevention is standard police protocol across the nation. But the Arcadia Police Department goes a step further, connecting with the public via its swath of recently launched websites.

In addition to the department's section of the city website, Arcadia Police have established Twitter and Facebook accounts that show frequent posts on events, safety issues and public alerts. Arcadia PD also has a very content-heavy blog that mirrors the information posted on its other sites. Current totals show 1,065 followers on Twitter, 467 people who "like" the Arcadia Police Department on Facebook and since launching last February, about 260 blog postings have been logged to date. 

The department established a stronger Internet presence because "our community and society in general have embraced the use of social media," said Sgt. Tom LeVeque, who heads the APD's social media movement. "Social media also give us a great avenue to listen to our community so we can better meet the needs and expectations of our citizens and improve our service ability."

Nixle is another online communication vehicle for law enforcement. It's free and allows members of the public to receive text and email alerts directly from the Police Department.

The APD's primary source for tip information is L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers. Crime Stoppers online tip-submission sheet is accessible through the department's website and blog. The APD also uses We Tip, a national network of law enforcers and civilians that enables crime reporting.