Cerritos Sheriff’s Station Weekly Crime Summary June 28 to July 4, 2010

There were thirty-three Part I felony crimes reported to the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station last week, up from twenty the week before. All of the crimes reported in this summary increased with the exception of commercial burglaries, which remained the same. 308 calls for service were handled by patrol personnel, up from 296. There were 296 calls for service, down by one from the week before. The 2010 weekly average in calls for service is now 300.
Three robberies were investigated. On Monday June 28 at 11:05 p.m. a male was on a pay phone in the 16700 block of Norwalk Boulevard when a male suspect approached and demanded his property. The victim jumped on his bike and fled with the suspect chasing on foot. When the victim was able to get to a safer location, Cerritos Sheriff’s deputies were summoned and arrested the suspect nearby. A male suspect grabbed deposits from an employee of a local business on Saturday July 3 at 11:30 a.m. in the lot at Norwalk Boulevard and Artesia Boulevard and fled. At 10:56 p.m. that same evening, two males attempted to rob a retail store in the Towne Center but ran away before they could complete the crime.
After three consecutive weeks of no reported residential burglaries, three were logged last week. An open window and an unlocked door allowed entry in two cases, and a rear sliding door was pried open in the third. Cash, laptop computers, credit cards, checkbooks, and electronic games were stolen. The current 2010 weekly average in residential burglaries is 2.0.
When thieves pry sliding glass doors and windows, they depend on any vertical movement to force the door or window from the tracks. Make sure that you have installed hardware to restrict this movement.
There were two commercial burglaries logged for this reporting period, the same as the week before. A closed liquor store, where cash, cigarettes, and cases of liquor were taken, and a storage unit where a motorcycle was taken were targeted. The 2010 weekly average in commercial burglaries is 2.7.
There were nine vehicle burglaries investigated compared to five the week before. High-volume commercial parking lots were the crime scenes in all nine last week. Five of the vehicles were SUVs. Two victims reported GPS units taken, and two others claimed stereo components as the loss. Other items removed from vehicles consisted of cameras, cash, tools, purses, and a stair climber. The new 2010 weekly average in vehicle burglaries is now 6.6.
Vehicle thefts increased by four crimes last week after nine were reported. High-volume commercial parking lots were the crime scenes in only four. Three incidents involved SUVs, one a Toyota, a BMW, a Pontiac, and a Nissan. One was a commercial truck. The 2010 weekly average in vehicle thefts is now 4.7.
ANY form of an anti-theft device is better than nothing at all. A wide range exists from simple steering wheel locks to global positioning satellite tracking (GPS). Steering wheel locking devices can cost as little as $30.00 and are a visual deterrent. Use of these devices tells the would-be thief to find an easier target.
Go to www.safercerritos.com for an extensive library of crime prevention tips, disaster preparedness information, and a variety of links to other pertinent sites.