Cerritos Weekly Crime Recap: Oct. 3 to Oct. 9

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

According to the , Part I felony crime investigations rose from 28 to 30 during this period. Residential burglaries and vehicle thefts were up, robberies and residential burglaries remained the same, and vehicle burglaries declined. Calls for service were down to 271 from 278.  The current 2011 weekly average in calls for service is 273.   

ROBBERIES

One robbery was reported on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. when a female victim was accosted in the 17500 block of Stark Avenue by a male suspect who forcibly took her purse. 

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES

Eight residential burglaries were reported for the second consecutive week. Four were the result of open or unlocked doors or windows, one window was pried open, and two were shattered. The eighth was an attempt only, where no entry was made but two suspects were arrested. Cash, jewelry, blankets, TVs, purses, a GPS unit, and stress balls were stolen. The 2011 weekly average in residential burglaries remains at 4.0. 

Sheriff's safety tip: Burglars will take the “path of least resistance”, so when a window is left open or unlocked, you can bet that will be the most likely point of entry in your residential burglary. Burglars are known to try doors and windows before using force. If you make it easy, they will certainly appreciate it while stealing as much of your valuable property that they can. Secure all doors with deadbolt locks and windows with locking pins or track locks to hold windows tightly to the frames. 

COMMERCIAL/OTHER STRUCTURE BURGLARIES

There were two commercial burglaries reported to Cerritos Station during this week. A school and a maintenance shed were targeted for leaf blowers, cell phones, and cash. The 2011 weekly average in commercial/“other structure” burglaries is 3.0.

VEHICLE BURGLARIES

Vehicle burglaries dropped from 13 to 10 last week. Only three of these occurred in high-volume commercial parking lots. Six of the break-ins involved SUVs. MP3 players, tools, wallets, a battery, shoes, and a jacket were reported missing. The 2011 weekly average in vehicle burglaries remained at 6.6. 

Sheriff's safety tip: The items reported stolen were accessible in the passenger compartments of the various vehicles involved. Thieves know these items are available. Merely looking inside of a vehicle will reveal the appealing contents. Don’t allow yourself to become a victim. Take the items with you, leave them at home, or lock them in the trunk if you absolutely must have them in the car. As we can see from last week, these crimes don’t just occur in parking lots. 

VEHICLE THEFTS

Vehicle thefts increased from two to four last week. Two Hondas were stolen along with a Toyota, and a Ford. Two of the thefts occurred in residential streets, and two from a high-volume commercial parking lot. The 2011 weekly average in vehicle thefts is 2.9. 

Sheriff's safety tip: Even though we see more Hondas, Toyotas, and SUVs stolen compared to others, car thieves are not always as selective as you think and are most often just looking for transportation. Consider a steering wheel locking device that serves as a good visual deterrent.

* Visit www.safercerritos.com for an extensive library of crime prevention tips, disaster preparedness information, and a variety of links to other pertinent sites.