We Handle A Lot Of Calls
Today, The Chula Vista Police Department handled 536 calls for service. Let me clarify; Chula Vista Police Officers handled a combination of 536 calls for service and self initiated incidents (traffic stops, pedestrian stops, etc). That’s a lot of business. In 2005, Chula Vista Officers went to 74,430 calls from the general public. They also initiated 50,387 incidents (traffic stops, pedestrian stops, etc.). That’s a total of 124,817 incidents in a year. 19,944 of those incidents required that we file official reports. Now, out of those 124,817 incidents, 6,475 arrests were made. Now think about this; all of these incidents were distributed between approximately 250 law enforcement personnel. For me, it is all in a days work (although some days are definitely more busy than others), but looking at these statistics on a whole, I have to take a step back and say, “Wow, we sure do handle a lot of calls”.

Holiday Safety
Well, it’s that time of year again. For most of us, it’s a time of giving, but for the morally challenged (the crooks), it’s a time for taking. Here are a few tips that will hopefully make you less of a target for crime:

Conceal your loot: If you’re going to several different stores or shopping centers to complete your shopping, make sure that you conceal your purchases within your vehicle. It’s not uncommon for crooks to walk through parking lots looking for the opportunity to smash a window and quickly grab a few new items and be gone. If you don’t have the opportunity to drop your loot off at home prior to going to your next store, then conceal it in your trunk.

Look confident: If you look confident and give the impression that you are observant (rather than the impression that you’re daydreaming), the crook may decide to leave you alone and move on to a person who would be less inclined to identify them to police. Remember: Crooks don’t want to be identified, that’s why they don’t typically commit crimes in the middle of crowded areas.

Stick to well lit and well populated shopping areas: If you have to walk through a dark and lonely alley to get to a store, then it’s probably not the safest place to take care of your shopping.

Wear your purse around your shoulder: I see a lot of women carry their purse with the strap over a shoulder and the purse hanging straight down, usually behind their arm and out of sight. This makes it easy for a crook to sneak up from the rear, grab the purse and run the other way. By the time the victim turns around, all she sees is the back of the suspect. If you wear your purse with the strap across your body and next to the front of your hip, it makes it difficult for a crook to steal the purse from behind you. The crook would have to steal the purse while coming at you, which should give you an opportunity to secure it with your hands.

Don’t keep excessive cards in your wallet: I mentioned this in an earlier ID Theft blog, but just a reminder; if you haven’t used a credit card in more than 6 months, leave it at home. Also, memorize your social security number and do not keep your social security card in your wallet. This applies to both men and women.

Keep your tree away from your front window: A lot of people like to display their Christmas trees near their front window in such a way that passers by can see the tree from the front of the house. The issue with this is crooks know that presents are typically kept under the tree. It’s not difficult for them to do a quick window smash and be gone from the area. They don’t even need to make entry into your home to complete the crime. If you have to keep the tree next to a window, be sure to shut your blinds or curtains when you are not at home.

Secure your home: If you have to leave, even for a few minutes, make sure that your home is completely secured. Even the little bathroom window on the side of your house. I went to a call last night where the couple went to the movies. While they were gone, a couple of suspects entered their home through that little bathroom window and ransacked their entire home. They went through every single room and stole several thousand dollars in jewelry. They also found keys to a new Mustang in the garage and took it out for a joyride. The car was recovered in San Diego, but the moral of this story is SECURE YOUR HOME.

Hopefully these tips will help make your holiday season an enjoyable one.

Thanks again for reading,
Alan