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?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Garfield Park NW: Saturday @ 3:00
Rumor has it some of our trusty blog readers are not yet part of a NW group. Fear not! You are invited to join the Garfield Park NW group this Saturday at 3:00. We will meet at the picnic tables in the northwest corner of the park. The park is located on Holt 1 block east of San Antonio.
Saturday's meeting will largely focus on learning more about the concerns held by Reeves Street apartment residents and brainstorming what we can do as a neighborhood to create a safe and welcoming community.
Saturday's meeting will largely focus on learning more about the concerns held by Reeves Street apartment residents and brainstorming what we can do as a neighborhood to create a safe and welcoming community.
Monday, March 23, 2009
And the "duh" award goes to...
So let me get this straight: Group A provides its address to Couple B so Couple B can come by (with cash?) to purchase jewelry from Group A. Group A robs Couple B. Couple B provides Group A's address to the police. And...drum roll...police find Couple B's stolen property at the address. Isn't there an award of some sort for criminals who demonstrate a decided lack of forethought?
From KCAL News:
"Police are searching for a man suspected of robbing two Perris residents at gunpoint in Pomona Sunday afternoon authorities said.
"The 44-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman were robbed in the 1200 block of West Mission Boulevard about 3:30 p.m. Sunday, said Pomona police Lt. Paul Hitt.
"The pair went to the location to buy jewelry from a potential seller, Hitt said.
"The victims gave police a description of the suspects and the address of an apartment building in the 1500 block of West Mission Boulevard.
"When officers arrived at the location, they found two men and a woman matching the description of the robbers and took Ronald Chavez, 41, Pedro Reyes, 33, and Omara Bautista, 29 into custody, Hitt said.
"During a search of the location, police found the victims' stolen property, Hitt said.
"A fourth suspect, described as an older man, was still at large, Hitt said
early Monday.
"Anyone with information about the robbers call Pomona police at (909) 620-2156."
From KCAL News:
"Police are searching for a man suspected of robbing two Perris residents at gunpoint in Pomona Sunday afternoon authorities said.
"The 44-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman were robbed in the 1200 block of West Mission Boulevard about 3:30 p.m. Sunday, said Pomona police Lt. Paul Hitt.
"The pair went to the location to buy jewelry from a potential seller, Hitt said.
"The victims gave police a description of the suspects and the address of an apartment building in the 1500 block of West Mission Boulevard.
"When officers arrived at the location, they found two men and a woman matching the description of the robbers and took Ronald Chavez, 41, Pedro Reyes, 33, and Omara Bautista, 29 into custody, Hitt said.
"During a search of the location, police found the victims' stolen property, Hitt said.
"A fourth suspect, described as an older man, was still at large, Hitt said
early Monday.
"Anyone with information about the robbers call Pomona police at (909) 620-2156."
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Young kids' commentary
Last Thursday, while awaiting Obama's motorcade, I found myself enjoying a neighborly conversation with two kids who live on the block.
The little boy, perhaps age 5, told me that when he grows up he would like to be a cop. The little girl, perhaps age 7, told him that their mother wouldn't let the little boy be a cop because cops kill people.
I quickly chimed in, explaining cops only hurt people when those people are doing really, really bad things.
The kids corrected me immediately. The little boy -- a kindergartner -- said, "nuh uh, because sometimes the cops take those sticks and hit people over and over and they die."
The kids were right: Sometimes some police officers use force for brutality rather than protection.
The kids had learned about such incidents from their mother and incarcerated older brother. Their young minds are likely trying to reconcile those truths with the truths of their experiences -- the officer who smiled and said hi to the kids as they sat on the curb, the motorcycle cop who waved at them while on patrol.
Perhaps these are the experiences that prompt a child to say, "I want to be a cop when I grow up." Certainly these experiences help create trusting relationships between the community and the police, even when so many families have good reason to mistrust.
As I prepared to head on my way down the street, I said to the boy, "You know what, you are right. Sometimes we hear about cops who behave badly. That's why we need even more good people like you to be cops."
The little boy, perhaps age 5, told me that when he grows up he would like to be a cop. The little girl, perhaps age 7, told him that their mother wouldn't let the little boy be a cop because cops kill people.
I quickly chimed in, explaining cops only hurt people when those people are doing really, really bad things.
The kids corrected me immediately. The little boy -- a kindergartner -- said, "nuh uh, because sometimes the cops take those sticks and hit people over and over and they die."
The kids were right: Sometimes some police officers use force for brutality rather than protection.
The kids had learned about such incidents from their mother and incarcerated older brother. Their young minds are likely trying to reconcile those truths with the truths of their experiences -- the officer who smiled and said hi to the kids as they sat on the curb, the motorcycle cop who waved at them while on patrol.
Perhaps these are the experiences that prompt a child to say, "I want to be a cop when I grow up." Certainly these experiences help create trusting relationships between the community and the police, even when so many families have good reason to mistrust.
As I prepared to head on my way down the street, I said to the boy, "You know what, you are right. Sometimes we hear about cops who behave badly. That's why we need even more good people like you to be cops."
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Welcome, Obama!
A friend called around 9:30 this morning to tell me San Antonio was blocked off for Obama's visit to Pomona. I jumped out of bed (yes, I was still in bed at 9:30) and walked the one block to San Antonio.
I hit the street for wonderful conversation with enthusiastic neighbors of all ages, many of whom were debating the best chants to holler for Obama. Then, at 10:30 AM, the Presidential motorcade passed through our neighborhood. Cheers and smiles greeted the President and his 45 auto/motorcycle entourage.
I, for one, felt a tremendous amount of civic pride as I watched the events unfold. Take a look at these pictures. So many smiles!
The Pomona PD did an amazing job. Officers engaged residents with the utmost respect. They managed to keep security air tight ("keep your feet off the roadway") while keeping moods sky high. The motorcycle cops impressed with their driving skills and their waves to the kiddos. Whooosh + waves = solid entertainment.
[Thanks to Iggy for the video!]
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Sad and scary news
The LA Times reports:
Two Gas Company Workers Found Shot to Death
One of the victims was a resident of Pomona (300 block of East La Verne). The other victim was a resident of Anaheim. My heart goes out to the families of the victims.
UPDATE: Suspected gunman in the two shootings shoots himself. See the LA Times story here.
Two Gas Company Workers Found Shot to Death
One of the victims was a resident of Pomona (300 block of East La Verne). The other victim was a resident of Anaheim. My heart goes out to the families of the victims.
UPDATE: Suspected gunman in the two shootings shoots himself. See the LA Times story here.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Garfield Park bathroom: Three arrests
Those of us who live near Garfield Park may have noticed the three police cruisers in (that's right: in) the park around 12:30 today. I called the Watch Commander to see if he could share any information. Come to find out, officers had been in the park looking for someone wanted on a charge unrelated to the park when they happened upon people doing drugs in the bathrooms. Officers made three arrests. Thank you to the PD for keeping our parks safe!
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