Canyon Country (East): Zone 8

Public Safety and Crime Prevention Information for the Week of 08/03/15 to 08/09/2015

This past week in Zone 8 (East), the following Part-1 Crimes occurred. They are currently being investigated by Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station detectives:

A robbery occurred near the 19300 block of Golden Valley Rd., Canyon Country.  One suspect selected numerous items and placed them into her shopping cart.  The suspect then went to the cash register, paid for some of the store items in the shopping cart, and then exited the location with the unpaid merchandise still in her shopping cart.  When the suspect was approached by a loss prevention officer outside of the location, the suspect pushed the loss prevention officer and fled the location.

A vehicle burglary occurred near the 30000 block of Sand Canyon Rd., Canyon Country.  Suspect(s) unknown shattered the victim’s passenger side window and stole his car stereo.

A vehicle burglary occurred near the 26800 block of Cherry Willow Dr., Canyon Country.  Suspect(s) unknown forced entry into the victim’s locked garage by way of a side entry door.  Nothing appeared to have been stolen.

An attempt burglary occurred near the 18100 block of Flynn Dr., Canyon Country.  Suspect(s) unknown attempted to force entry into the victim’s residence by way of the front door.

A petty theft occurred near the 16500 block of Soledad Cyn. Rd., Canyon Country.  The store manager reviewed store video surveillance footage and observed one suspect exit the location with the shopping basket containing store merchandise. The suspect made no attempts to pay for the store items. The suspect fled the location in a vehicle.

A petty theft occurred near the 18200 block of Soledad Cyn Rd., Canyon Country.  One suspect entered the location and selected a beer from a display cooler.  The suspect exited the location making no attempts to pay for the store item.

A grand theft occurred near Lost Cyn. Rd. / La Veda Ave. in Canyon Country.  Suspect(s) unknown stole numerous items from a construction site.

A grand theft occurred near the 18000 block of Jakes Way, Canyon Country.  Suspect(s) unknown stole the victim’s vehicle parked at the location.

A grand theft occurred near Deana Lane / Sara Lane in Canyon Country.  Suspect(s) unknown stole the victim’s vehicle while parked in front of the indicated location.

Tips to prevent theft from vehicles

Each year, $1.255 billion in personal items and accessories are stolen from vehicles in about 1.85 million thefts; and for every theft, experts estimate, there are several break-ins and attempted break-ins. With these common sense habits and preventative measures, you can greatly reduce the chances your vehicle will become a target.

Lock your doors

While this piece of advice should be a no-brainer, up to a quarter of vehicle thefts are from unlocked cars, according to some law enforcement agencies. Even if you’re running into the store for a Coke, that’s too long to leave your vehicle’s contents open for the taking. Simply locking the doors will deter those who might just be waiting around for an easy target.

Keep it tidy

Almost any worthless personal item that’s visible from the outside — even an empty shopping bag — could be seen as a valuable or a carrier of valuables. If you have a wagon or SUV that leaves your cargo area on display, consider getting a cover. Most of these vehicles can be fitted with inexpensive retractable covers to help keep shopping bags or other belongings out of sight.

Conceal all the evidence

Don’t leave any bait out for thieves; stow your electronics and accessories well out of sight-or better yet, bring it with you. The evidence alone might be enough to pique the interest of thieves, so hide that too, including power plugs, telltale iPod adapters, or nav-system windshield suction-cup mounts, and even put the cigarette lighter back in place.

Stash before — not after — you park

Get in the habit of putting shopping bags in the trunk right when you return to the vehicle, rather than after you park at the next place. According to National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) spokesman Frank Scafidi, thieves sometimes linger in busy parking lots looking for valuables being moved out of sight. Don’t display to them what you have.

Completely close windows and sunroofs

No, it’s not just because thieves might reach in through the gap and open your locks with a coat hanger. Open windows will disable the pressure sensor in some car alarms, leaving the vehicle more vulnerable to break-in and potentially giving thieves more time before the alarm sounds.

Get an alarm

If you don’t have an alarm system, get one. The noise alone may be enough to scare away an inexperienced thief and prevent the break-in. Factory-option alarm systems are generally best, but a carefully installed, properly calibrated aftermarket system can provide just as much safety. Beware, many less-expensive new cars have remote entry but not a true alarm.

Stick with the original audio system

Thefts of car audio components are on the decline, but having an aftermarket system still makes a car more attractive to thieves thinking of breaking in. There’s no black market to speak of for factory stereos, and they’ve become much better sounding in recent years.

Park for visibility

Park in a busy, well-lit area, and avoid concealment from larger vehicles, fences, or foliage. Except for the most brazen thieves, the greater the chances are that someone might see a crime in progress, the lower the chances are that the potential thief will attempt it.

Get physical

A significant portion of vehicles are broken into with the intent of stealing the vehicle itself, so combining several visible simple, inexpensive physical theft deterrents like steering wheel locks (The Club), steering column collars, or brake pedal locks may discourage the would-be thief from breaking in and trying.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Deputy Betsy Shackelford

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station

Crime Prevention Unit- Canyon Country East (Zone 8)

Station: (661) 255-1121 Ext. 4283   Fax: (661) 253-0124

Email: bsshacke@lasd.org

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