From WebWatch:
"The Pomona Police Department invites residents to join us in attending this month's Area Commander Meeting. This month's meeting will cover the Northwest area of the city, however, ALL residents are encouraged to attend.
"The meeting will be on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at Kennedy Park Community Center, 1150 Fairplex between 7pm to 8:30pm"
Showing posts with label SARA Meetings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SARA Meetings. Show all posts
Friday, May 7, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Southwest Area Commander Meeting: April 18
The next Area Commander meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 18th at the Ralph Welch Park Community Center (1251 W 11th) from 7:00 - 8:30 PM.
The meeting will focus on the Southwest area of the city (South of Holt, West of Garey), however all residents are encouraged to attend.
Lt. Paul Hitt will facilitate the meeting. If you have concerns or questions for Lt. Hitt, consider contacting him before the meeting so he can, if needed, research the issue in time for the meeting. His contact info appears in the top right corner of the blog.
The meeting will focus on the Southwest area of the city (South of Holt, West of Garey), however all residents are encouraged to attend.
Lt. Paul Hitt will facilitate the meeting. If you have concerns or questions for Lt. Hitt, consider contacting him before the meeting so he can, if needed, research the issue in time for the meeting. His contact info appears in the top right corner of the blog.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Save the Dates
The following list of important dates arrived via Web Watch. It looks like there are some really great topics slated for discussion. As a reminder, roughly half of each meeting focuses on issues from a specific quadrant of the city; the other half of the meeting focuses on a general issue. EVERYONE is welcome at all meetings, regardless of which quadrant you happen to live in. Meetings start at 7 PM in Council Chambers.
Tuesday August 11th- Crime Prevention Topic “Cyber Bullying”
Lt. Hitt / CSO Salcido
Tuesday September 15th- Crime Prevention Topic “Pomona Gangs”
Lt. McDonald / CSO Ibanez
Tuesday October 13th- Crime Prevention Topic “Fraud”
Lt. Rilloraza / CSO Hernandez
Tuesday November 10th- Crime Prevention Topic “Drug Effects”
Lt. Guzek / CSO Carrigan
Tuesday December 15th- Crime Prevention Topic “Graffiti”
Lt. Hitt / CSO Salcido
Tuesday January 12th- Crime Prevention Topic “Theft”
Lt. McDonald / CSO Ibanez
Tuesday February 9th- Crime Prevention Topic “Burglary”
Lt. Rilloraza / CSO Hernandez
Tuesday August 11th- Crime Prevention Topic “Cyber Bullying”
Lt. Hitt / CSO Salcido
Tuesday September 15th- Crime Prevention Topic “Pomona Gangs”
Lt. McDonald / CSO Ibanez
Tuesday October 13th- Crime Prevention Topic “Fraud”
Lt. Rilloraza / CSO Hernandez
Tuesday November 10th- Crime Prevention Topic “Drug Effects”
Lt. Guzek / CSO Carrigan
Tuesday December 15th- Crime Prevention Topic “Graffiti”
Lt. Hitt / CSO Salcido
Tuesday January 12th- Crime Prevention Topic “Theft”
Lt. McDonald / CSO Ibanez
Tuesday February 9th- Crime Prevention Topic “Burglary”
Lt. Rilloraza / CSO Hernandez
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Do you live South of Holt and West of Garey?
The August Area Commander meeting is slated for Tuesday, August 11 at 7PM in Council Chambers. This meeting is open to all Pomona residents, regardless of address, but will focus on issues in the Southwest quadrant of our fair city (previously defined as South of Holt and West of Garey, though the current flier indicates Mission serves as the N/S divider; hmmmmmm).
Lt. Hitt will facilitate the meeting. To the extent you are able, please let him know ahead of time what questions or issues are on your mind. Doing so will allow him to look into your concerns before the meeting so that he can provide concrete answers at the meeting. You can reach Lt. Hitt at 909-802-7495 and areacommander_southwest@ci.pomona.ca.us
Now for a personal plea. When raising concerns, please be as specific as possible. Having sat in on about six of these meetings, I'm stunned by how often people say things like, "There's this weird corner in our neighborhood where people just hang out. Have the police talked to these folks? What's that about?" Often speakers don't provide addresses, times, etc. It seems to me totally unreasonable to expect the police to be able to respond to such vague concerns. So, for the sake of our city, please bring to the table as many details as you can.
Lt. Hitt will facilitate the meeting. To the extent you are able, please let him know ahead of time what questions or issues are on your mind. Doing so will allow him to look into your concerns before the meeting so that he can provide concrete answers at the meeting. You can reach Lt. Hitt at 909-802-7495 and areacommander_southwest@ci.pomona.ca.us
Now for a personal plea. When raising concerns, please be as specific as possible. Having sat in on about six of these meetings, I'm stunned by how often people say things like, "There's this weird corner in our neighborhood where people just hang out. Have the police talked to these folks? What's that about?" Often speakers don't provide addresses, times, etc. It seems to me totally unreasonable to expect the police to be able to respond to such vague concerns. So, for the sake of our city, please bring to the table as many details as you can.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Report out from Area Commander Meeting: July 13, 2009
This evening's Area Commander meeting focused on the Southeast quadrant of the city (East of Garey and South of Holt). Here's a quick report out of observations, issues, and questions that came up:
I. We heard (again) about the Area Commander concept. If you don't already know about it, check out previous posts labeled "SARA Meetings." The facilitators circulated yet another new handout complete with new e-mail addresses for the commanders and new pairings of Community Service Officers with quadrants. I had no idea we had a new CSO until tonight, and I'm told the change took place a month ago. At any rate, I'll request an electronic copy of the handout for the blog.
II. I was very pleased to see Spanish language translation at the meeting. The translation service clearly played a role in making it possible for people to participate in the meeting who could not have participated in an English-only meeting.
III. Participants raised a bunch of questions about ne'erdowell neighbors who drink all day, smoke various substances all night, and generally manage to intimidate others on the block. The only real action point suggested by PD is the usual: keep calling dispatch. I was surprised by the PD's responses to these concerns -- not a single mention of the value of organizing with others in the community (well, no mention until I asked whether a CSO could speak to the role a Neighborhood Watch group could play in addressing such concerns). I think the PD missed a big opportunity here to plug Neighborhood Watch and to explain the role of the Crime Prevention Unit.
IV. Other issues raised: whether it is appropriate to request a Spanish-speaking officer when calling dispatch (answer: yes, but one may not be available), how to get pitted alleys repaired (answer: communicate with the Director of Public Works), and how to get parking lines repainted (answer: again, Public Works).
V. I was disappointed to hear a resident from the Northwest quadrant say he has heard nothing about a concern he filed at last month's meeting. This evening he was told to initiate another complaint; this response took the wind out of my sails. I thought the whole purpose of the Area Commander Meetings was to make sure residents and PD could benefit from two-way communications. At least in this case, it seems the guy was asked to go through the motions a second time, having seen no benefit from his earlier efforts to share information. Argh.
VI. Community Service Officer Sonia Carrigan offered a brief presentation about identity theft.
VII. Crime maps for the past month were available in hard copy. I will e-mail the Crime Prevention Unit to request pdfs for blog posting. Stay tuned.
I. We heard (again) about the Area Commander concept. If you don't already know about it, check out previous posts labeled "SARA Meetings." The facilitators circulated yet another new handout complete with new e-mail addresses for the commanders and new pairings of Community Service Officers with quadrants. I had no idea we had a new CSO until tonight, and I'm told the change took place a month ago. At any rate, I'll request an electronic copy of the handout for the blog.
II. I was very pleased to see Spanish language translation at the meeting. The translation service clearly played a role in making it possible for people to participate in the meeting who could not have participated in an English-only meeting.
III. Participants raised a bunch of questions about ne'erdowell neighbors who drink all day, smoke various substances all night, and generally manage to intimidate others on the block. The only real action point suggested by PD is the usual: keep calling dispatch. I was surprised by the PD's responses to these concerns -- not a single mention of the value of organizing with others in the community (well, no mention until I asked whether a CSO could speak to the role a Neighborhood Watch group could play in addressing such concerns). I think the PD missed a big opportunity here to plug Neighborhood Watch and to explain the role of the Crime Prevention Unit.
IV. Other issues raised: whether it is appropriate to request a Spanish-speaking officer when calling dispatch (answer: yes, but one may not be available), how to get pitted alleys repaired (answer: communicate with the Director of Public Works), and how to get parking lines repainted (answer: again, Public Works).
V. I was disappointed to hear a resident from the Northwest quadrant say he has heard nothing about a concern he filed at last month's meeting. This evening he was told to initiate another complaint; this response took the wind out of my sails. I thought the whole purpose of the Area Commander Meetings was to make sure residents and PD could benefit from two-way communications. At least in this case, it seems the guy was asked to go through the motions a second time, having seen no benefit from his earlier efforts to share information. Argh.
VI. Community Service Officer Sonia Carrigan offered a brief presentation about identity theft.
VII. Crime maps for the past month were available in hard copy. I will e-mail the Crime Prevention Unit to request pdfs for blog posting. Stay tuned.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Do you live East of Garey and South of Holt?
If you live East of Garey and South of Holt, you will want to attend this month's community meeting with the Pomona Police Department. The meeting is slated for Tuesday, July 14th at 7 PM in Council Chambers. The Watch Commander for this quadrant of our city will discuss issues specific to this area. That's right, this meeting offers residents a chance to talk to _the_ person in charge of supervising and coordinating policing efforts in this area.
Of course, all are invited and encouraged to attend, even if you live in one of the other fair quadrants of our city!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Do you live East of Garey and North of Holt?
If you live East of Garey and North of Holt, you will want to attend this month's community meeting with the Pomona Police Department. The meeting is slated for Tuesday, June 9 at 7 PM in Council Chambers (thank you, Ed, for gently pointing out the absence of date and time info in the original post!). Lieutenant Rilloraza, the Watch Commander for this quadrant of our city, will discuss local issues specific to this area. That's right, this meeting offers us a chance to talk to _the_ guy in charge of supervising and coordinating policing efforts in our area.
Now, here's the really exciting part, Lt. Rilloraza stands ready to address any concerns you bring to his awareness. All you have to do is let him know about the concern before the meeting so he can pull the information he needs to provide as thorough a response as possible. How do you contact him, you may ask? You've got options.
1. You can leave a detailed message at the Watch Commander desk: 909-620-2151.
2. You can leave a comment here and I'll forward any comments received by Friday, June 5 to Lt. Rilloraza.
3. The flier distributed by the PD announcing this meeting offers another mechanism for improving communications, but -- ironically -- it is unclear whether they recommend this mechanism for communicating with our Watch Commanders or just contacting the city in general. I suspect the latter, but can't figure out why the info would appear on a flier about the former unless it is in fact relevant. So, here goes:
Go to www.ci.pomona.ca.us
Go to Need City Assistance?
Select the appropriate topic
Scroll Down and Fill in the Form
Then submit it...
Now, here's the really exciting part, Lt. Rilloraza stands ready to address any concerns you bring to his awareness. All you have to do is let him know about the concern before the meeting so he can pull the information he needs to provide as thorough a response as possible. How do you contact him, you may ask? You've got options.
1. You can leave a detailed message at the Watch Commander desk: 909-620-2151.
2. You can leave a comment here and I'll forward any comments received by Friday, June 5 to Lt. Rilloraza.
3. The flier distributed by the PD announcing this meeting offers another mechanism for improving communications, but -- ironically -- it is unclear whether they recommend this mechanism for communicating with our Watch Commanders or just contacting the city in general. I suspect the latter, but can't figure out why the info would appear on a flier about the former unless it is in fact relevant. So, here goes:
Go to www.ci.pomona.ca.us
Go to Need City Assistance?
Select the appropriate topic
Scroll Down and Fill in the Form
Then submit it...
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Report out from SARA meeting: April 14, 2009
Perhaps the "cold" weather kept folks home last night. Whatever the reason, the thin crowd at last night's SARA meeting was a bit of a disappointment, especially given the special forum on disaster preparedness. At any rate, here's a quick report out (briefer than usual...silly job demands are keeping me busy this time of the year).
1. Quadrant Commanders, at your service. The Area Commander concept is up and running. Your Area Commander is the go-to person for questions and concerns about one of the quadrants (map, names, and contact information coming soon).
2. Never mind the numbers, let's see the maps. The maps below show incidents of major crimes over the past month. Thank you to the PD for making these maps available!
3. Ask and ye shall receive. Readers of the Pomona Watch blog submitted the following questions to the PD and received the following responses from the PD:
* How do we get access to press releases? This one is still under investigation.
* Would it be possible to make stops by park restrooms a regular aspect of patrols around the parks? The powers that be will remind officers to add walk-a-bouts (my word, not theirs) to their regular patrols. Residents are reminded that park security offers additional patrols of the areas. As always, we should call dispatch if we see anything suspicious.
For example, the other day I saw one guy put a little something under the cover of the electrical outlet; guy #1 meandered over to the picnic tables. 20 seconds later a new guy miraculously approached the exact same electrical outlet, grabbed something, and proceeded into the bathroom. Suspicious? You betcha.
* How many motorists/pedestrian accidents? There have been over 200 accidents involving motorists and pedestrians/bicyclists over the past five years. Gulp.
* What do the police do when they see a minor bicycling without a helmet? The city once had a grant that purchased helmets officers could distribute to kids who were riding without head protection. That grant no longer exists; perhaps the city will apply for another one at some point. In the meantime, officers use their discretion regarding whether or not to approach a minor riding without a helmet and whether to give a warning or a ticket. The PD may look in to doing more helmet safety presentations at schools. [Side bar: There's some really creepy footage of skateboarders suffering head impact on youtube -- scares the bejeebus out of me.]
5. A Rose by Any Other Name? I nearly burst out in applause when Cpl. Hagerty said the monthly meetings will no longer be called SARA meetings. The totally non-descriptive meeting name is pretty much meaningless to those of us not in the PD. In my humble opinion, acronyms do a huge disservice to any organization seeking to welcome outsiders. Why, afterall, would I bother to clear my Tuesday evening schedule to go to a meeting to celebrate some gal named Sara?
Well, this rose has a new name: Area Commander Meetings. While I applaud the decision to change the name of the meeting, I'm still really worried this meeting title won't mean anything to anyone who doesnt' already attend the meetings.
Imagine a new resident of Pomona finding herself checking the city's meeting schedule (I'm assuming such a schedule exists, but this is purely a guess) in hopes of finding a way to get involved in the local happenings. Will she jump at the opportunity to attend the Area Commander Meeting? Nope. Why? Because she won't know what the heck it means or who the heck is invited.
In a nutshell, I think we need another name. What are your suggestions? Perhaps "Town Hall with Police Department," "Community forum," "Police and community forum," "LOL"?
6. The Community Programs office is hoppin'. During the month of March they attended 19 Neighborhood Watch meetings, gave 3 presentations, and attended 5 events (including Little League Opening Day and doing detail for President Obama's visit).
7. Mark your calendar. All are invited and encouraged to attend:
* Senior Scam Stopper workshop. May 1, 9 - 11 AM. Washington Park Senior Center. 865 E. Grand Ave. For more info, call 909-621-2783.
* City wide beautification day is May 9. Pick your favorite little patch of Pomona and spruce it up. Contact rdebruyne@msn.com to register or get more info (or read the April 6 post on the topic).
* The next community-wide Neighborhood Watch meeting (whatever it is called). May 12th from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. Council Chambers. Special topic: Issues facing the northwest quadrant of Pomona.
8. The Main Event. Carrie Cruz, Pomona's emergency services and risk coordinator, gave a splendid presentation about disaster preparedness. She also gave us all sassy pink raffle tickets. M&I Surplus (Garey & LaVerne) donated some great prizes, including a hefty backpack loaded with disaster preparedness supplies. Carrie has kindly granted permission to post her slides on the blog, so I'll do that as a separate post.
Shots Heard March 7 28
Stolen Vehicles March 7 28
Assaults March 7 28
Recovered Stolen Vehicles March 7 28
Robbery March 7 28
1. Quadrant Commanders, at your service. The Area Commander concept is up and running. Your Area Commander is the go-to person for questions and concerns about one of the quadrants (map, names, and contact information coming soon).
2. Never mind the numbers, let's see the maps. The maps below show incidents of major crimes over the past month. Thank you to the PD for making these maps available!
3. Ask and ye shall receive. Readers of the Pomona Watch blog submitted the following questions to the PD and received the following responses from the PD:
* How do we get access to press releases? This one is still under investigation.
* Would it be possible to make stops by park restrooms a regular aspect of patrols around the parks? The powers that be will remind officers to add walk-a-bouts (my word, not theirs) to their regular patrols. Residents are reminded that park security offers additional patrols of the areas. As always, we should call dispatch if we see anything suspicious.
For example, the other day I saw one guy put a little something under the cover of the electrical outlet; guy #1 meandered over to the picnic tables. 20 seconds later a new guy miraculously approached the exact same electrical outlet, grabbed something, and proceeded into the bathroom. Suspicious? You betcha.
* How many motorists/pedestrian accidents? There have been over 200 accidents involving motorists and pedestrians/bicyclists over the past five years. Gulp.
* What do the police do when they see a minor bicycling without a helmet? The city once had a grant that purchased helmets officers could distribute to kids who were riding without head protection. That grant no longer exists; perhaps the city will apply for another one at some point. In the meantime, officers use their discretion regarding whether or not to approach a minor riding without a helmet and whether to give a warning or a ticket. The PD may look in to doing more helmet safety presentations at schools. [Side bar: There's some really creepy footage of skateboarders suffering head impact on youtube -- scares the bejeebus out of me.]
5. A Rose by Any Other Name? I nearly burst out in applause when Cpl. Hagerty said the monthly meetings will no longer be called SARA meetings. The totally non-descriptive meeting name is pretty much meaningless to those of us not in the PD. In my humble opinion, acronyms do a huge disservice to any organization seeking to welcome outsiders. Why, afterall, would I bother to clear my Tuesday evening schedule to go to a meeting to celebrate some gal named Sara?
Well, this rose has a new name: Area Commander Meetings. While I applaud the decision to change the name of the meeting, I'm still really worried this meeting title won't mean anything to anyone who doesnt' already attend the meetings.
Imagine a new resident of Pomona finding herself checking the city's meeting schedule (I'm assuming such a schedule exists, but this is purely a guess) in hopes of finding a way to get involved in the local happenings. Will she jump at the opportunity to attend the Area Commander Meeting? Nope. Why? Because she won't know what the heck it means or who the heck is invited.
In a nutshell, I think we need another name. What are your suggestions? Perhaps "Town Hall with Police Department," "Community forum," "Police and community forum," "LOL"?
6. The Community Programs office is hoppin'. During the month of March they attended 19 Neighborhood Watch meetings, gave 3 presentations, and attended 5 events (including Little League Opening Day and doing detail for President Obama's visit).
7. Mark your calendar. All are invited and encouraged to attend:
* Senior Scam Stopper workshop. May 1, 9 - 11 AM. Washington Park Senior Center. 865 E. Grand Ave. For more info, call 909-621-2783.
* City wide beautification day is May 9. Pick your favorite little patch of Pomona and spruce it up. Contact rdebruyne@msn.com to register or get more info (or read the April 6 post on the topic).
* The next community-wide Neighborhood Watch meeting (whatever it is called). May 12th from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. Council Chambers. Special topic: Issues facing the northwest quadrant of Pomona.
8. The Main Event. Carrie Cruz, Pomona's emergency services and risk coordinator, gave a splendid presentation about disaster preparedness. She also gave us all sassy pink raffle tickets. M&I Surplus (Garey & LaVerne) donated some great prizes, including a hefty backpack loaded with disaster preparedness supplies. Carrie has kindly granted permission to post her slides on the blog, so I'll do that as a separate post.
Shots Heard March 7 28
Stolen Vehicles March 7 28
Assaults March 7 28
Recovered Stolen Vehicles March 7 28
Robbery March 7 28
Disaster Preparedness
Please find below slides from Carrie Cruz's April 15 presentation to Pomona residents about disaster preparedness. If you have questions, please contact Carrie at Carrie_Cruz@ci.pomona.ca.us Thank you, Carrie, for a wonderful presentations (and thank you to local merchant M & I Surplus for the great door prizes)!
Sara Shakeout Pres
Sara Shakeout Pres
Monday, April 13, 2009
S.A.R.A Reminder
Tomorrow, Tuesday night, S.A.R.A. meeting (that translates to community wide Neighborhood watch) 7:00 PM in the City Council Chambers.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Last Call!
Are there any issues on your radar you would like the PD to address during the next community-wide Neighborhood Watch meeting (aka SARA meeting), which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14 at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers? Anything added to the list by Tuesday, April 7 will be included in a note to Cpl. Haggerty.
So far, we have:
1. [held over from last meeting] How does the community get access to Pomona PD press releases?
2. [from Ed, with Pride's paraphrase] How frequently do patrols pop into park restrooms to check for shady activity? Would it be possible to make checks a regular part of patrols by parks?
What else is on your mind?
So far, we have:
1. [held over from last meeting] How does the community get access to Pomona PD press releases?
2. [from Ed, with Pride's paraphrase] How frequently do patrols pop into park restrooms to check for shady activity? Would it be possible to make checks a regular part of patrols by parks?
What else is on your mind?
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Are you ready?
As I mentioned yesterday, the next community-wide Neighborhood Watch meeting (April 14 at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers) will focus on emergency preparedness.
Carrie Cruz [see footnote], the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the City of Pomona, will talk with us about how to prepare for the next big earthquake or other emergency.
Fear as a motivational tool is usually less than successful because people get all worked up and then stick their heads in the sand as a coping strategy. That said, fear coupled with information about how to reduce the anxiety is a solid tactic for getting people to take action.
"Why do I bother sharing this little reflection?," you might ask. Well, take a look at the PD's flier and you'll see what I'm talking about: a big ol' fear message coupled with a really obvious point of action: ATTEND THIS EVENT!
Do it for your own well-being. Do it for your family. Do it for your community. In the words of the goddess Nike, "Just do it." Side note: I do wish the goddess Pomona had a nifty one liner like that -- any ideas? Maybe "just pluck it." Although the goddess might see such a directive as applying the fruit harvest, I imagine I could use it in quite a number of situations.
Emergency Preparedness
Footnote: Cpl. Haggerty explained that Carrie Cruz is responsible for making sure all city employees are prepared and trained for any kind of major emergency that occurs within the city. She is also the liaison between our city and outside cities during major emergency situations.
Carrie Cruz [see footnote], the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the City of Pomona, will talk with us about how to prepare for the next big earthquake or other emergency.
Fear as a motivational tool is usually less than successful because people get all worked up and then stick their heads in the sand as a coping strategy. That said, fear coupled with information about how to reduce the anxiety is a solid tactic for getting people to take action.
"Why do I bother sharing this little reflection?," you might ask. Well, take a look at the PD's flier and you'll see what I'm talking about: a big ol' fear message coupled with a really obvious point of action: ATTEND THIS EVENT!
Do it for your own well-being. Do it for your family. Do it for your community. In the words of the goddess Nike, "Just do it." Side note: I do wish the goddess Pomona had a nifty one liner like that -- any ideas? Maybe "just pluck it." Although the goddess might see such a directive as applying the fruit harvest, I imagine I could use it in quite a number of situations.
Emergency Preparedness
Footnote: Cpl. Haggerty explained that Carrie Cruz is responsible for making sure all city employees are prepared and trained for any kind of major emergency that occurs within the city. She is also the liaison between our city and outside cities during major emergency situations.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Issues to discuss at April 14 SARA meeting
The next community-wide Neighborhood Watch meeting (aka SARA meeting) will take place on Tuesday, April 14 at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers.
I understand the meeting will focus on emergency preparedness (I'll see if I can get more specifics). That said, I believe there will be a little time for the usual Q & A. To help streamline things a bit, PD welcomes questions before the meeting.
To that end, feel free to post a comment with any questions or issues, big or small, you'd like the police department to address during the meeting. I will forward any concerns/questions posted by April 7 to Cpl. Brian Haggerty. Be as specific as you can so PD can respond in kind.
So far, we have:
1. [held over from last meeting] How does the community get access to Pomona PD press releases?
2. [from Ed, with Pride's paraphrase] How frequently do patrols pop into park restrooms to check for shady activity? Would it be possible to make checks a regular part of patrols by parks?
What else is on your mind?
I understand the meeting will focus on emergency preparedness (I'll see if I can get more specifics). That said, I believe there will be a little time for the usual Q & A. To help streamline things a bit, PD welcomes questions before the meeting.
To that end, feel free to post a comment with any questions or issues, big or small, you'd like the police department to address during the meeting. I will forward any concerns/questions posted by April 7 to Cpl. Brian Haggerty. Be as specific as you can so PD can respond in kind.
So far, we have:
1. [held over from last meeting] How does the community get access to Pomona PD press releases?
2. [from Ed, with Pride's paraphrase] How frequently do patrols pop into park restrooms to check for shady activity? Would it be possible to make checks a regular part of patrols by parks?
What else is on your mind?
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Report out from SARA Meeting: 3/10/09
A crowd of 21 residents (17 of whom were women -- any insights on this gender asymmetry?) joined a whoppin' nine members of the Pomona Police Department (1 woman -- again, insights?) for the March installment of the community-wide Neighborhood Watch meeting. My minutes and musings appear below. Want to know what I found to be the most exciting "oh ah" info without having to do all the pesky reading? Skip to items #3 and #9.
1. Quadrant Commanders, at your service. Acting Chief Keetle is ready to roll out the Area Commander concept. As you may recall from last month's post, each of the four Watch Commanders will serve as the go-to person for questions and concerns about one of the quadrants (map, names, and contact information coming soon). Beginning in May, the four Watch Commanders will take turns facilitating the monthly SARA meetings. The entire community is invited to attend all meetings, though individual meetings will focus specifically on the issues of a given quadrant.
2. Speaking in my best Kai Ryssdal voice, "let's do the numbers." The month of February brought us:
* 36 incidents of shots heard (down from 55 in January)
* 23 robberies (30 in January)
* 11 assaults (19 in January)
* 138 burglaries (146 in January); note, these numbers include auto, commercial, and residential burglaries.
* 83 stolen vehicles (90 in January)
* 41 stolen vehicles recovered by Pomona PD (39 in January)
* 48 stolen vehicles recovered by other agencies (43 in January)
Thus, a bit of drop appears consistently across categories. Of course, there is that whole 28 days in February issue. Pesky calendar.
3. Smile, you're on the graffiti cam! Using "Weed & Seed" money, the city installed two graffiti cameras in a local park (alas, I neglected to write down which park). The motion-activated cameras become operational at dusk. After giving a verbal warning, the camera takes a flash photo. Why the verbal warning you may ask? It is intended to act as a deterrent. Although the cameras have not yet lead to any arrests, we know they are operational because they captured some stunning images of people mingling at a community event one recent evening. Two more cameras will be mounted soon. Personally, I'm hoping for an end-of-the-year slide show -- except if the cameras capture prostitution; I don't want to see that.
4. Ask and ye shall receive. Last month the meeting organizers requested a heads-up about any issues or concerns individuals planned to bring to the March meeting so that the PD could look up info and respond accordingly. Issues submitted by the PomonaWatch blog and the PD responses appear below:
* Illegal DVD and CD sales in the parking lot of the 99 cent only store on Holt and Paloma. PD received just two calls about such sales. If you see anything shady in parking lots -- other than trees -- please call dispatch.
* How many red light and stop light violations? The breakdown is not available. The traffic guru tells us such infractions are considered minor compared to the types of violations that tend to lead to accidents (including speeding, chaotic turns, etc.). Ed, care to take this one? More on traffic violations below.
* How do we get access to press releases? This one is still under investigation. Blogs are a form of media, right? Perhaps we qualify as press.
* If we call the PD about graffiti are we taking an officer off the streets? Yes. But, the report is very quick, especially if the graffiti sits still for its photograph. The officer will be back on the street in no time. So call the PD.
5. Web Watch: Mutant laptops. A bunch of Pomona Unified laptops have sprouted legs and walked away. Please call the PD if you have an info. Another web watch alert came out today concerning graffiti; I haven't seen it yet, but will post it once it arrives in the trusty inbox.
6. The Community Programs office is hoppin'. During the month of February they attended 13 Neighborhood Watch meetings, attended 1 manager/tenet meeting, and made 5 presentations.
7. Citations and Violations. During the month of February, motor officers made 956 citations, 247 impounds, and 3 arrests (I think it is three -- the squiggle on the page could be a 7). During this same period, parking officers made 2115 citations, 31 video citations, 172 impounds, and 11 grand theft auto recoveries.
8. Checking in on check points. During the month of February, check point personell screened 1372 vehicles, impounded 20 of the vehicles, issued 25 citations, and made 4 arrests. Three of the arrests were for DUIs, including one guy who arrived driving on his rims with a 40 ounce beer and a bottle of vodka in the passenger seat. Individuals attending the meeting expressed thankfulness that the check-point protesters didn't divert these drunk drivers around the check point.
9. Three cheers for an impressive downward linear trend! During the February meeting someone asked how the 2008 traffic fatality stats compare to previous years. Check this out:
* 22 in 2003
* 11 in 2004
* 10 in 2005
* 4 in 2006
* 7 in 2007
* 4 in 2008
Does anyone know when the check points started? These are impressive data. I'm curious to know more about the timing of interventions like the check points.
10. Gang hot zones. 1300 block of East Kingsley and 700 block of East End. Call the gang and narcotics hotline with information: 909-802-7477.
11. The not-so-dirty dozen. On February 20th the Police Department engaged in Operation Bed Check in South Pomona. The PD checked 12 different probation locations to make sure individuals were in compliance with court-ordered curfews. Eleven of the people were at home, safe and sound. The parents of the 12th person were easily able to reach him by phone.
Interestingly, while out and about doing the spot checks, the officers happened upon four individuals dressed in black, lugging around a bunch of spray paint. Busted.
12. Another mission accomplished. On March 6 the police department did a truancy sweep which resulted in 105 citations (kids not in school who should have been). You might ask, "Why would the PD spend precious resources trying to get kids to go to school?" Evidently much day-time crime is attributed to truants including burglaries and graffiti.
13. Hard times. As with other city departments, the PD has been asked to cut its budget by 10%. Acting Chief Keetle aims to do so without cutting sworn personell, noting a city needs its patrols, detectives, dispatchers, and the like. Tonight I learned the city is approved to emply 200 sworn officers but is currently operating with just 183.
14. Mark your calendar. All are invited and encouraged to attend:
* Police and community forum: An open dialouge. Saturday, March 14th from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM. Hughes Community Center, 1700 Danbury Road, Claremont CA. Police Chiefs from Claremont, LaVerne, Montclair, Ontario, and Pomona will be there to answer your questions. Let's make sure Pomona represents!
* The next community-wide Neighborhood Watch meeting. April 14th from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. Council Chambers. Special topic: EMERGENY PREPAREDNESS.
1. Quadrant Commanders, at your service. Acting Chief Keetle is ready to roll out the Area Commander concept. As you may recall from last month's post, each of the four Watch Commanders will serve as the go-to person for questions and concerns about one of the quadrants (map, names, and contact information coming soon). Beginning in May, the four Watch Commanders will take turns facilitating the monthly SARA meetings. The entire community is invited to attend all meetings, though individual meetings will focus specifically on the issues of a given quadrant.
2. Speaking in my best Kai Ryssdal voice, "let's do the numbers." The month of February brought us:
* 36 incidents of shots heard (down from 55 in January)
* 23 robberies (30 in January)
* 11 assaults (19 in January)
* 138 burglaries (146 in January); note, these numbers include auto, commercial, and residential burglaries.
* 83 stolen vehicles (90 in January)
* 41 stolen vehicles recovered by Pomona PD (39 in January)
* 48 stolen vehicles recovered by other agencies (43 in January)
Thus, a bit of drop appears consistently across categories. Of course, there is that whole 28 days in February issue. Pesky calendar.
3. Smile, you're on the graffiti cam! Using "Weed & Seed" money, the city installed two graffiti cameras in a local park (alas, I neglected to write down which park). The motion-activated cameras become operational at dusk. After giving a verbal warning, the camera takes a flash photo. Why the verbal warning you may ask? It is intended to act as a deterrent. Although the cameras have not yet lead to any arrests, we know they are operational because they captured some stunning images of people mingling at a community event one recent evening. Two more cameras will be mounted soon. Personally, I'm hoping for an end-of-the-year slide show -- except if the cameras capture prostitution; I don't want to see that.
4. Ask and ye shall receive. Last month the meeting organizers requested a heads-up about any issues or concerns individuals planned to bring to the March meeting so that the PD could look up info and respond accordingly. Issues submitted by the PomonaWatch blog and the PD responses appear below:
* Illegal DVD and CD sales in the parking lot of the 99 cent only store on Holt and Paloma. PD received just two calls about such sales. If you see anything shady in parking lots -- other than trees -- please call dispatch.
* How many red light and stop light violations? The breakdown is not available. The traffic guru tells us such infractions are considered minor compared to the types of violations that tend to lead to accidents (including speeding, chaotic turns, etc.). Ed, care to take this one? More on traffic violations below.
* How do we get access to press releases? This one is still under investigation. Blogs are a form of media, right? Perhaps we qualify as press.
* If we call the PD about graffiti are we taking an officer off the streets? Yes. But, the report is very quick, especially if the graffiti sits still for its photograph. The officer will be back on the street in no time. So call the PD.
5. Web Watch: Mutant laptops. A bunch of Pomona Unified laptops have sprouted legs and walked away. Please call the PD if you have an info. Another web watch alert came out today concerning graffiti; I haven't seen it yet, but will post it once it arrives in the trusty inbox.
6. The Community Programs office is hoppin'. During the month of February they attended 13 Neighborhood Watch meetings, attended 1 manager/tenet meeting, and made 5 presentations.
7. Citations and Violations. During the month of February, motor officers made 956 citations, 247 impounds, and 3 arrests (I think it is three -- the squiggle on the page could be a 7). During this same period, parking officers made 2115 citations, 31 video citations, 172 impounds, and 11 grand theft auto recoveries.
8. Checking in on check points. During the month of February, check point personell screened 1372 vehicles, impounded 20 of the vehicles, issued 25 citations, and made 4 arrests. Three of the arrests were for DUIs, including one guy who arrived driving on his rims with a 40 ounce beer and a bottle of vodka in the passenger seat. Individuals attending the meeting expressed thankfulness that the check-point protesters didn't divert these drunk drivers around the check point.
9. Three cheers for an impressive downward linear trend! During the February meeting someone asked how the 2008 traffic fatality stats compare to previous years. Check this out:
* 22 in 2003
* 11 in 2004
* 10 in 2005
* 4 in 2006
* 7 in 2007
* 4 in 2008
Does anyone know when the check points started? These are impressive data. I'm curious to know more about the timing of interventions like the check points.
10. Gang hot zones. 1300 block of East Kingsley and 700 block of East End. Call the gang and narcotics hotline with information: 909-802-7477.
11. The not-so-dirty dozen. On February 20th the Police Department engaged in Operation Bed Check in South Pomona. The PD checked 12 different probation locations to make sure individuals were in compliance with court-ordered curfews. Eleven of the people were at home, safe and sound. The parents of the 12th person were easily able to reach him by phone.
Interestingly, while out and about doing the spot checks, the officers happened upon four individuals dressed in black, lugging around a bunch of spray paint. Busted.
12. Another mission accomplished. On March 6 the police department did a truancy sweep which resulted in 105 citations (kids not in school who should have been). You might ask, "Why would the PD spend precious resources trying to get kids to go to school?" Evidently much day-time crime is attributed to truants including burglaries and graffiti.
13. Hard times. As with other city departments, the PD has been asked to cut its budget by 10%. Acting Chief Keetle aims to do so without cutting sworn personell, noting a city needs its patrols, detectives, dispatchers, and the like. Tonight I learned the city is approved to emply 200 sworn officers but is currently operating with just 183.
14. Mark your calendar. All are invited and encouraged to attend:
* Police and community forum: An open dialouge. Saturday, March 14th from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM. Hughes Community Center, 1700 Danbury Road, Claremont CA. Police Chiefs from Claremont, LaVerne, Montclair, Ontario, and Pomona will be there to answer your questions. Let's make sure Pomona represents!
* The next community-wide Neighborhood Watch meeting. April 14th from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. Council Chambers. Special topic: EMERGENY PREPAREDNESS.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Reminder: SARA Meeting Tuesday at 7PM
The Pomona PD will host its monthly community-wide Neighborhood Watch meeting this Tuesday at 7PM in Council Chambers. Holler out if you are interested in getting together for an informal meet-and-greet at dba after the main event. See you there!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Last call
Last call! If there are specific issues -- however narrow or broad -- you would like to see addressed at the March 10 community-wide Neighborhood Watch meeting, post them here by day's end March 3. We'll send the issues to the Crime Prevention Office. Officers will investigate the issues and report out to the community during the March 10 meeting. In turn, I will post my oh-so-sassy minutes on this oh-so-nifty page.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Issues to Discuss at March 10 SARA Meeting
The next SARA meeting is Tuesday, March 10 at 7PM in Council Chambers. During the February meeting, the PD made clear it would like to figure out an efficient mechanism for alerting the SARA meeting organizers about citizen concerns prior to the SARA meetings. Having a heads-up about questions or issues will allow the PD time to look into the concerns and respond in the meeting.
To this end, all are invited to post concerns/questions to this blog thread. I'll send any concerns/questions posted by March 3 to Brian Haggerty. (A one-week lead time will provide time to look into specific issues.) Be as specific as you can so the PD can likewise respond with specificity.
To this end, all are invited to post concerns/questions to this blog thread. I'll send any concerns/questions posted by March 3 to Brian Haggerty. (A one-week lead time will provide time to look into specific issues.) Be as specific as you can so the PD can likewise respond with specificity.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Report out from SARA Meeting: 2/10/09
Although I didn't attempt to take exhaustive notes on every aspect of last night's SARA meeting, I did jot down a couple interesting points. If you were at the meeting and can provide augmentation or correction, please do so. Lots of comment-worthy stuff here.
A spirited crowd of about 18 residents joined five members of the Pomona Police Department for a one hour and 25 minute SARA meeting for Neighborhood Watch groupies.
1. Acting Chief Kettle is engaging in some intentional -- and, dare I say, impressive -- shifts in organizational structure. (Does anyone know if his name is spelled Kettle or Keetle -- it sounds like the latter, but internet hits find the former.) I'm particularly excited about his Area Commander Concept. Our fair city is now divided into quadrants (with the Garey and Holt serving as the diving lines). Each of the four Watch Commanders will serve as the go-to person for questions and concerns about one of the quadrants.
The Acting Chief will invite the Watch Commanders to the next SARA meeting (March 10 @ 7PM) so they can introduce themselves. I'd love to see 15 minutes of the meeting dedicated to break-out groups where those of us in each quadrant can meet our Watch Commander.
2. 832 (!) properties in Pomona are now in the process of foreclosure. Holy smokes. For the Neighborhood Watch peeps of Pomona, this means we need to keep an eye out for suspicious people in abandoned houses and buildings, evidence of occupied garages, etc. If you see anything suspicious, call the PD. If you see un-mowed or browning grass OR if you see conditions that impact health and safety, call Code Compliance (620-2374). The city website evidently houses a form/checklist we can use to help report these sorts of issues; I can't find it. If you know where it is, please post a comment.
3. Speaking in my best Kai Ryssdal voice, "let's do the numbers." The month of January brought us:
* 55 incidents of shots heard (up from 48 in December -- I think it was 48, my handwriting is pretty messy on this one)
* 30 robberies (27 in December)
* 19 assaults (23 in December)
* 146 burglaries (136 in December); note, these numbers include auto, commercial, and residential burglaries.
* 90 stolen vehicles (70 in December)
* 39 stolen vehicles recovered by Pomona PD (32 in December) [APPLAUSE!]
* 43 stolen vehicles recovered by other agencies (33 in December) [THREE CHEERS FOR COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS!]
4. Graffiti: The reprise. Responding to some confusion in the wake of last month's SARA meeting, we revisited the issue of who to call about graffiti. Here's the low down:
* We can call graffiti abatement at 620-2265 to remove graffiti. They WILL take photographs, but it can take some time for those photographs to work their way into the hands of investigators.
* Or, we can report graffiti to the police department: 622-1241. This approach leads to quicker investigation. AND, calling the PD can result in a police report being filed (which I think is a good thing). The responding officer will take pictures.
5. Youth Services Unit. Over the past two years, the Youth Services Unit has made between 150 - 200 arrests based on reports from citizens and businesses about graffiti [APPLAUSE!]. Did you know "gang graffiti" and "tagging" are often two separate beasts? I did not know this, and I'm probably going to screw up the distinction, but here goes.
Gang graffiti is...well...gang related; individuals who create gang graffiti intend to intimidate citizens and mark turf; investigations concerning gang graffiti fall under the purview of the gang detectives. Taggers, on the other hand, seek fame and notoriety. Some, though not all, taggers are involved in gangs.
6. Shoe fly. I often wonder if there is any truth to the story that shoes hanging on utility wires signal the presence of a drug dealer. Officer Jon Edson of the Youth Services Unit explained this is not the case, though some youth will toss shoes to the horizontal targets in hopes of making people believe there are drug dealers nearby. If you see shoes hanging from utility wires, call the utility department to request removal: 620-2241.
7. The Community Programs office is hoppin'. During the month of January they attended 13 Neighborhood Watch meetings, attended 1 Business Watch meeting [Sidebar: How many business watch groups are there in town?], conducted 1 security inspection, and provided 2 presentations.
8. Citations and Violations. The month of January saw 1590 citations, 407 vehicle impounds, and 2206 parking citations.
9. Stealth policing. In the ongoing struggle to police a large city with limited resources, the PD makes clever and efficient use of technology, including stealth technology. A couple stealth radar monitoring devices exist which "watch" traffic in a given area around the clock. The monitor provides police with data about the times of days when that street tends to see the worst offenders and the most offenders. After collecting these data, the police put up those nifty feedback signs that flash to tell you when you're exceeding the speed limit. Ooh, the PD also has a nifty car with a mounted automatic license plate reader. [Side bar: I need a mnemonic for how to spell license -- any tips?]
10. Checking in on check points. The issue of check points came up. Verbal and non-verbal signals from the attendees at last night's meeting indicated general approval of the use of checkpoints. Note: Starting in March, we can expect two check points per month.
11. If you've got questions, they've got answers. The PD would like to figure out an efficient mechanism for alerting the SARA meeting organizers about citizen concerns prior to the SARA meetings. Having a heads-up about questions or issues would allow the PD time to look into the concerns and respond in the meeting. The current practice is: "a question this month gets an answer next month."
So, if you plan to attend the next SARA meeting, please either e-mail your Civilian Service Officer OR post a comment to the blog thread titled "Issues to discuss at March 10 SARA meeting" (I'll post this thread in a couple days). I'll be sure to send these questions to Brian Haggerty one week prior to the SARA meeting.
12. Que SARA SARA. The next SARA meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 10 at 7:00 PM.
A spirited crowd of about 18 residents joined five members of the Pomona Police Department for a one hour and 25 minute SARA meeting for Neighborhood Watch groupies.
1. Acting Chief Kettle is engaging in some intentional -- and, dare I say, impressive -- shifts in organizational structure. (Does anyone know if his name is spelled Kettle or Keetle -- it sounds like the latter, but internet hits find the former.) I'm particularly excited about his Area Commander Concept. Our fair city is now divided into quadrants (with the Garey and Holt serving as the diving lines). Each of the four Watch Commanders will serve as the go-to person for questions and concerns about one of the quadrants.
The Acting Chief will invite the Watch Commanders to the next SARA meeting (March 10 @ 7PM) so they can introduce themselves. I'd love to see 15 minutes of the meeting dedicated to break-out groups where those of us in each quadrant can meet our Watch Commander.
2. 832 (!) properties in Pomona are now in the process of foreclosure. Holy smokes. For the Neighborhood Watch peeps of Pomona, this means we need to keep an eye out for suspicious people in abandoned houses and buildings, evidence of occupied garages, etc. If you see anything suspicious, call the PD. If you see un-mowed or browning grass OR if you see conditions that impact health and safety, call Code Compliance (620-2374). The city website evidently houses a form/checklist we can use to help report these sorts of issues; I can't find it. If you know where it is, please post a comment.
3. Speaking in my best Kai Ryssdal voice, "let's do the numbers." The month of January brought us:
* 55 incidents of shots heard (up from 48 in December -- I think it was 48, my handwriting is pretty messy on this one)
* 30 robberies (27 in December)
* 19 assaults (23 in December)
* 146 burglaries (136 in December); note, these numbers include auto, commercial, and residential burglaries.
* 90 stolen vehicles (70 in December)
* 39 stolen vehicles recovered by Pomona PD (32 in December) [APPLAUSE!]
* 43 stolen vehicles recovered by other agencies (33 in December) [THREE CHEERS FOR COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS!]
4. Graffiti: The reprise. Responding to some confusion in the wake of last month's SARA meeting, we revisited the issue of who to call about graffiti. Here's the low down:
* We can call graffiti abatement at 620-2265 to remove graffiti. They WILL take photographs, but it can take some time for those photographs to work their way into the hands of investigators.
* Or, we can report graffiti to the police department: 622-1241. This approach leads to quicker investigation. AND, calling the PD can result in a police report being filed (which I think is a good thing). The responding officer will take pictures.
5. Youth Services Unit. Over the past two years, the Youth Services Unit has made between 150 - 200 arrests based on reports from citizens and businesses about graffiti [APPLAUSE!]. Did you know "gang graffiti" and "tagging" are often two separate beasts? I did not know this, and I'm probably going to screw up the distinction, but here goes.
Gang graffiti is...well...gang related; individuals who create gang graffiti intend to intimidate citizens and mark turf; investigations concerning gang graffiti fall under the purview of the gang detectives. Taggers, on the other hand, seek fame and notoriety. Some, though not all, taggers are involved in gangs.
6. Shoe fly. I often wonder if there is any truth to the story that shoes hanging on utility wires signal the presence of a drug dealer. Officer Jon Edson of the Youth Services Unit explained this is not the case, though some youth will toss shoes to the horizontal targets in hopes of making people believe there are drug dealers nearby. If you see shoes hanging from utility wires, call the utility department to request removal: 620-2241.
7. The Community Programs office is hoppin'. During the month of January they attended 13 Neighborhood Watch meetings, attended 1 Business Watch meeting [Sidebar: How many business watch groups are there in town?], conducted 1 security inspection, and provided 2 presentations.
8. Citations and Violations. The month of January saw 1590 citations, 407 vehicle impounds, and 2206 parking citations.
9. Stealth policing. In the ongoing struggle to police a large city with limited resources, the PD makes clever and efficient use of technology, including stealth technology. A couple stealth radar monitoring devices exist which "watch" traffic in a given area around the clock. The monitor provides police with data about the times of days when that street tends to see the worst offenders and the most offenders. After collecting these data, the police put up those nifty feedback signs that flash to tell you when you're exceeding the speed limit. Ooh, the PD also has a nifty car with a mounted automatic license plate reader. [Side bar: I need a mnemonic for how to spell license -- any tips?]
10. Checking in on check points. The issue of check points came up. Verbal and non-verbal signals from the attendees at last night's meeting indicated general approval of the use of checkpoints. Note: Starting in March, we can expect two check points per month.
11. If you've got questions, they've got answers. The PD would like to figure out an efficient mechanism for alerting the SARA meeting organizers about citizen concerns prior to the SARA meetings. Having a heads-up about questions or issues would allow the PD time to look into the concerns and respond in the meeting. The current practice is: "a question this month gets an answer next month."
So, if you plan to attend the next SARA meeting, please either e-mail your Civilian Service Officer OR post a comment to the blog thread titled "Issues to discuss at March 10 SARA meeting" (I'll post this thread in a couple days). I'll be sure to send these questions to Brian Haggerty one week prior to the SARA meeting.
12. Que SARA SARA. The next SARA meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 10 at 7:00 PM.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Reminder: SARA Meeting Tuesday at 7PM
The Pomona PD will host its monthly meeting for Neighborhood Watch organizers and participants this Tuesday at 7PM in Council Chambers. Holler out if you are interested in getting together for an informal meet-and-greet at dba after the main event. See you there!
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