Crime Summary

Part I felony investigations conducted by members of the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station increased from seventeen the previous reporting period to twenty-five for last week. All categories in this report increased with the exception of robberies, which remained the same. Calls for service went down from 254 to 230. Field units are currently handling an average of 258 calls for service in 2011.

An attempted robbery was investigated on Monday January 31 at 1:45 p.m. after a lone male suspect attempted to wrestle away a bank deposit bag from the victim in the 12200 block of Artesia Boulevard. The suspect fled without any property.

Residential burglaries increased from two to six last week. Open/unlocked doors or windows were involved four cases, and two were shattered windows. Thirty boxes of shoes, jewelry, and a flood light were taken. The new 2011 weekly average in residential burglaries is 4.5.

Burglars look for the easiest and most quiet way to enter homes. While we have experienced some unusual window smashes lately, the most popular method is still locating an open or unlocked door or window, or prying open a sliding glass door or window. Make sure that you conduct the “exit check” by looking at all doors and windows before you leave the residence. Close them and lock them. If you do not already have them, install locking pins to keep the window tightly against the frame. This makes prying almost impossible.

Two commercial burglaries and one “other structure burglary” were reported last week. Tools were stolen from a detached garage and two closed businesses were targeted after the front windows were smashed. Cash and a cash register were taken in those crimes. The 2011 weekly average in “other structure”/commercial burglaries is now 3.5.

Vehicle burglaries rose from six cases to nine last week. Nine of the crimes occurred in high-volume commercial parking lots, and six were SUVs. One GPS unit and a stereo system were stolen along with third-row seats (from SUVs) ammunition, bicycles, purses, wallets, a guitar, backpacks, computers, MP3 players, and cell phones. The new 2011 weekly average in vehicle burglaries is 6.5.

All of the items stolen were in passenger compartments, visible, and made easily available to the thieves. Vehicle burglars do not honor a quarter inch of glass left to protect these stolen items, as five windows were smashed last week. Do not leave anything in the passenger compartment of your vehicles. It takes less than five seconds for someone to smash the window, reach in and grab your property, and to be on their way.

Vehicle thefts increased from two to three last week. All three vehicles were in high-volume commercial parking lots. Two SUVs and a Toyota were taken. 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.