Cerritos Crime Summary JANUARY 17-23

There were twelve Part I felony investigations conducted by deputy personnel at the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station for the above period, down from twenty-two the previous one. All categories in this report decreased with the exception of other structure burglaries. Calls for service also dropped from 300 to 251. By the end of the week, field units were handling an average of 267 calls for service in 2011.
GREAT NEWS! There were no robberies reported last week. Residential burglaries dropped from seven to three last week. Open/unlocked doors or windows were the entry points in all of the crimes. Jewelry, passports, briefcases, and plumbing fixtures were stolen. The new 2011 weekly average in residential burglaries is 4.8.
By nature, burglars do not like to attract any attention. Breaking glass is not one of their preferences. The majority of our entries in Cerritos are caused by either a door or window being left open or unlocked, and by use of a pry tool. A good defense to prying is to make sure that it will be unsuccessful. This is best accomplished by installation of hardware that keeps the sliding window or door connected to the frame. This inhibits any lateral or vertical movement that could allow the window or door to be lifted from the tracks. Locking pins are available at many hardware stores and are a very small investment for such a vital purpose.
Three commercial burglaries were investigated, along with one “other structure burglary”. Three closed businesses were targeted where doors were pried or windows shattered to gain entry. A golf cart, yard maintenance equipment and electrical parts were stolen. A fitness center locker was also involved and the patron reported the loss of an MP3 player and a cell phone. The 2011 weekly average in commercial burglaries is now 4.0.
Vehicle burglaries dropped again from seven to one last week. A high-volume commercial parking lot was the location where a purse and ID were taken. The new 2011 weekly average in vehicle burglaries is 6.0.
A knife and a parking permit may seem insignificant, but these items have been taken from locked vehicles in the past after the windows were smashed. Thieves will take almost anything and the damage to a victim’s vehicle and the inconvenience of repairs is hardly worth leaving anything visible in the passengers compartment.
Vehicle thefts also dropped again from two to one last week. A high-volume commercial parking lot was involved in that crime where a Honda was stolen. The 2011 weekly average in vehicle thefts is now 2.5.
Using a steering wheel locking device will offer a good visible deterrent to the would-be thief. While there have been cases reported where the steering wheel is cut to allow the theft, these are very few in numbers. These devices are inexpensive and let the car thief know that more work will be required to take your vehicle. There are many more in a parking lot for the criminal to target that are not equipped with a locking device.