Cerritos Weekly Crime Recap: Jan. 24-30

Editor's Note: The information below comes from the Cerritos Sheriff's Station's weekly crime summary. 

The Cerritos Sheriff’s Station logged 17 Part I felony investigations during this period -- five more incidents that the previous reporting period. Robberies, vehicle burglaries, and vehicle thefts increased while residential and “other structure,” burglaries decreased. Calls for service went up from 251 to 254. Field units are currently handling an average of 264 calls for service in 2011.

ROBBERIES

One robbery was investigated during this period when three suspects wielding hammers smashed jewelry displays in the Los Cerritos Center on Sunday, Jan. 30 at 11:50 a.m. and escaped with three watches.

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES

Residential burglaries dropped from three to two during this period. Open/unlocked doors or windows were involved in one case, and a door was kicked in at the other crime scene. The thieves took laptop computers and a watch. The new 2011 weekly average in residential burglaries is 4.2.

Sheriff's safety tip: Burglar alarms and dogs are the would-be burglar’s worst enemies. Most insurance companies offer a discount on a homeowner’s policy when an alarm system is installed. Both of these safety measures attract attention to your home when there is an intrusion, but only an alarm system will result in a Sheriff’s Department response every time. Unless you can train your dog to dial 911, look into an alarm system BEFORE you become a victim.

COMMERCIAL/OTHER STRUCTURE BURGLARIES

Two “other structure burglaries” were reported during this period. The suspects targeted a detached garage and a power supply shed, and took tools and batteries. The weekly average in “other structure”/commercial burglaries for 2011 is now 3.6.

VEHICLE BURGLARIES

Vehicle burglaries rose from one case the previous week to six during this period. Five of the crimes took place in high-volume commercial parking lots, and four SUVs were targeted. One GPS unit was taken along with credit cards, cell phones, purses, cameras, cash, and a screwdriver. The new 2011 weekly average in vehicle burglaries is 6.0.

Sheriff's safety tip: The safest place to leave items inside of a vehicle is in your locked garage. Remember that wherever you park, you become “fair game” to any thief that can look inside of your vehicle and observe valuable property. Whether you park on a street, in a parking lot, or even your own driveway, the thin window that separates your property from a thief is not any protection at all. Window smashes are the most reported points of entry in vehicle burglaries. SUVs, pick-ups, and vans do not have trunk space. Criminals know this and look even closer. Don’t become a victim by giving a criminal the chance to make you one.

VEHICLE THEFTS

Vehicle thefts increased from one to two during this period. Both vehicles were in high-volume commercial parking lots. An SUV and a golf cart were stolen, but two suspects were arrested with the golf cart shortly after that theft. The 2011 weekly average in vehicle thefts is now 2.4.

Sheriff's safety tip: It is very important that you use some form of an anti-theft device to protect your vehicle. Visible deterrents, such as a steering wheel locking device, are the most obvious and tell the would-be thief to look elsewhere. These are important especially if you own one of the two most stolen makes in California -- Honda and Toyota. A great deal of success has been demonstrated by tracking devices that can lead law enforcement directly to the location of a stolen vehicle. These systems cost a little more and require a monthly fee, but are very effective in deterring thieves.