Sunday Safety Update: 07/19/2015 to 08/08/2015

Please note these maps are meant to show which direction crime is trending, areas to keep an extra eye on and places to remain vigilant in order for Central Long Beach residents to remain safe. That said, previous trends don't guarantee future trends in the same direction. This is a combination of three maps for the week of 07-19-2015 all the way until 08-08-2015. They will all show pretty much the same thing. Be very cautious around the U-Hail Station on PCH, Rotary Centennial Park and the southern end of MacArthur Park. There is a recurring trend of assaults around MacArthur Park and there is a recurring trend of thefts, especially car thefts around Rotary Centennial Park and Rosa Park's Park by the Dollar Tree.

Earlier maps, which span 07/19/2015 to 07/25/2015, showed most activity of this week on the outskirts of the neighborhood. Notice there is still a trend of car thefts just south of Rotary Centennial Park leading from Sherman both North West and North East. Also notice a similar trend of car thefts starting around MacArthur Park and Raynond that trend south and converge around Gaviota and 11th. Keep this in mind because something major will happen on Gaviota and 10th in only four weeks.

There is also a trend of thefts that move south from 18th Street and move south towards Rosa Parks Park. Also, the loitering on 17th Street has continued despite the violence that happened on both sides of Orange on 17th Street, someone in city government is encouraging and defending it..

In the following week, 07/26/2015 to 08/01/2015, the car thefts around Rotary Centennial Park die down, however they don't stop as there is still on one Sherman north of 17th Street. There is minor trend of robberies around MacArthur Park that move south west into the AOC7 neighborhood. Also notice all the incidents on PCH trend the same direction as they did the previous week. That is absolutely normal whenever something happens on PCH.

Just last week, 08/02/2015 to 08/08/2015, you see property crime that starts on Peterson and trends south. Peterson is usually tagged on the west side of the street and it usually happens to an un-monitored part or Fire Station 10. You will also notice there is a similar pattern of assaults along the south end of MacArthur Park trending east along Anaheim. You wiill also notice there was a theft from a car just south of Rosa Parks Park an then some similar thefts around it, but a little later in the week. All three maps suggest caution around Rosa Park's Park, MacArthur Park and Rotary Centennial Park. Additionally keep your eyes open on Sherman Street since a lot of car thefts start there. At least two maps suggest caution on PCH anywhere near the U-Haul Station.

Majpr Safety Alert: Vehicle Thefts Just North of 14th

Major Safety Alert: There was a concentration of three vehicle thefts along 14th street, very close to each other and on the same day. Almost every theft is reported as occurring or reported in the early morning. And almost every theft is was just north of 14th street. A fourth took place on Gardenia, just south of 17th on the right side of the street, just one day earlier; there was also a theft from a vehicle on Grundy and 16th on about the same day. Please keep eyes open on 14th/ 15th and on Walnut. Any street that traverses the neighborhood. Please take the time to reread keeping your car protected from vehicle theft.

Sunday Safety Update: MacArthur Park Neighborhood

This week, within the MacArthur Park neighborhood it was pretty quiet. On the outskirts, there were some incidents. The longer arrow follows a trend of Vandalism along PCH that continues south of PCH and to Ohio Street in the Zaferia neighborhood on the 16th. This vandalism began with 3 incidents on May 11th. The one on Ohio, involved four. It's reasonable to assume there is a strong likelihood the same taggers were heading south east.

Remember you can use the Go Long Beach App to get rid of any unwanted tagging within about a day.

The shorter line is a trend of vehicle thefts and burglaries following PCH. There is less of a pattern for these crimes except that they are clustering around PCH. There is also a cluster of property crimes along Ohio street outside of our neighborhood. That is interesting since there is also tagging on an area of Ohio street that is not connected to that cluster.

Keep an eye on major streets like PCH and Ohio, despite the fact it isn't in our neighborhood.

Preventing Car Theft In The MacArthur Park Neighborhood

In order to create a safer neighborhood crime stats from crime reports most of the crime for the MacArthur Park Neighborhood is car theft. In the past month alone there have been ten. So, here's all the wisdom about car preventing car theft in a single place. The top month cars are stolen is July and August. 

Of those cars stolen only 52% are recovered. Short of installing a Lojack system on all the older cars, how can we bring down those numbers? Let's start with the cars that are stolen the most often: During 2013, according to the NICB, with total units cited:

Here are the most common cars that may get stolen: 


What Cars Get Stolen?

1. Honda Accord
2. Honda Civic
3. Chevrolet Silverado
4. Ford F-150
5. Toyota Camry
6. Dodge Ram Pickup
7. Dodge Caravan
8. Jeep Cherokee
9. Toyota Corolla
10. Nissan Altima

The Nissan Altima: A Target for Theives

Top-selling older cars are stolen far more often than brand new cars. This may be because many newer models come with very effective anti theft devices. Older cars are typically taken to chop shops where they are dissected into replacement components which are later marketed on Internet sites and/or sold to unscrupulous auto-parts dealers.

In McArthur Park, especially on Anaheim you will notice a lot of smaller car shops.

Sometimes, thieves steal the car, sometimes they just break in. Be aware radios and wheel covers aren't the only thing thieves may take. The most popular targets are: engine, transmission, air bags, radios, GPS units, iPods, laptops, and purses.

You can't do something to protect the entire list. You can hide your valuables.

How Do You Stop The Car Thieves?

Here are some ways to prevent car theft:

1. Many insurers suggest keeping your registration in a secret place in the car so thieves can't produce proof of registration.
2. Don't leave the keys in the ignition, the car running and double check to see the doors are locked.
3. When parked, never leave your keys in the car. Close all the windows and the sunroof if you have one.
4. Avoid leaving valuables inside your vehicle where they can be seen.
5. Park in a well lit area. Some neighbors park in front of my building because I have security cameras.
6. Have your car’s vehicle identification number (VIN) etched on each of the windows. Car thieves want to get off cheap. They don’t want to go to the expense of replacing all the glass.
7. Put on your parking brake and turn the wheels turned toward the curb or some other obstruction. This makes it harder for thieves to tow your vehicle.
8. f you see someone loitering around the parking lot, it’s best to park somewhere else. Walk a few extra steps if you think safety is an issue.

What Do I Do If My Car Is Stolen?

Auto Theft Has Been Decreasing Since 1991

First make sure your car is actually stolen. On more than one occasion I was in the wrong parking lot and jumped to the conclusion my car was taken. 

Maybe you parked on a different level, or in a different row. Also there are other reasons your car might be gone. Did you park next to a hydrant, in a red zone, in the handicapped space or in a loading and unloading only zone?  You may want to check the police impound before you assume it was theft.

If it was stolen, call the police immediately. Most crimes that get solved, get solved in the first 48 hours, so call ASAP and improve the odds you'll get your car back. After calling the police, ask any people in the area if they saw what happened.

If your car is stolen, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) recommends you give the following information to the police:

1. The year, make, model and color of the car and the license plate number
2. Approximate time the car was stolen
3. Description of anyone you saw loitering around your car before it was stolen
4. Names of witnesses
5. Check online places like eBay and Criags List. In some cases, people have found their own car up for sale on these sites.

What About Anti-Theft Devices?

In order of how effective they are, here are the basic anti theft devices.

The passive immobilizer is now standard equipment on 98% of General Motors' light duty vehicles and nearly all of the new Fords. These immobilizers use a key that contains a computer chip which communicates with the car's engine.

Vehicle Tracking/ ALA Lojack.Even if a thief steals your car, new vehicle tracking technologies can get it back again. The least expensive form of vehicle tracking is “VIN etching.” The more expensive tracking devices are electronic and offer a real-time location of the stolen vehicle using Global Positioning Systems (GPS). These are sold with service contracts, and have a reputation for relocating many vehicles a mere hour after they have been stolen.

Kill Switch: This anti-theft device can be activated to shut down part of the engine's electrical system. (I know you’ve seen this used in “bait cars” on the “COPS” TV show.) Some cars have them built in, and they are pretty easy to install. 

Car alarms feature electronic sensors designed to activate when a vehicle is breached: unauthorized entry, breaking of glass, sudden movement, and perimeter violations. When a threat is detected by the sensors, a siren activates (at over 120 dBs), alerting the car’s driver and everyone else within earshot.

Mechanical Immobilizers are the least expensive car anti-theft devices, designed to restrict access to or movement of the vehicle. The biggest advantage of mechanical immobilizers is their highly visual appearance, which should ward off amateur car thieves, but not the pros. Police authorities recommend including one of these in conjunction with other anti-theft devices.  There are also hood clamps, wheel clamps and steering wheel locks.

The FBI says car thefts are back on a downward trend after seeing a slight increase in 2012. The FBI predicts its final 2013 statistics (to be pasted later this year) will see a 3.2 percent reduction Let's also bring those numbers down in the MacAthur Park Neighborhood..