The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station’s Crime Prevention Unit netted five arrests as part of a 24-hour operation this week to kick off summer.

Sheriff’s Station deputies conduct regular patrol and parole checks throughout the year, but more people frequent the city’s parks and paseos during the summer months, said Deputy Josh Dubin, zone leader for the Newhall zone. [Deputy Josh Dubin and Sgt. Darren Harris of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station]

Deputies focus an increased presence in those areas in June, July and August, he said.

To that end, deputies also have a year-round tool provided by the city of Santa Clarita that helps patrol this harder-to-reach, urban terrain, such as the city’s bike paths.

The T3 patroller reaches speeds of 20 miles per hour, is pretty versatile and doesn’t really announce its presence to criminals, despite the fact that they’re fitted with police lights and a siren.

“We’re able to go in and out of the paseos and bike paths and into residential neighborhoods much more efficiently,” Dubin said. “And, because it’s an electric, clean-energy vehicle that’s silent, people don’t always see or hear us patrolling.”

Part of Wednesday’s around-the-clock operation by the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station’s CPU led to the arrest of two men on AB 109 charges, and three more individuals were booked on felony drug possession charges.

The first two caught during the 24-hour operation, Robert Calderescu, 33, of Canyon Country, and Travis Andrews, 33, of Canyon Country, were arrested for separate violations of the Postrelease Community Supervision Act, or AB 109.

Also known as Realignment, the law places nonviolent repeat offenders in county jails for lesser terms, and those who are found in violation are often issued what’s known as “flash incarcerations,” or seven- to 10-day sentences, for their offenses.

“One had an incorrect address, and was hiding when deputies were looking for him at his address,” Dubin said. “Another had a very small amount of narcotics, which were considered a violation of his parole.”

Two Saugus men who lived at the same address were also arrested during the operation on charges that methamphetamine was found at their home, Dubin said.

Randall Smith, 55, and Patrick McMillan, 33, were booked on possession of a controlled substance.

Another Saugus woman, 37-year-old Lisa Lepore was also booked on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance because she allegedly had methamphetamine, according to Sheriff’s Department records.

And the final part of the operation didn’t involve an arrest, but it did include the use of deputies’ T3s, which Dubin referred as a silent, but effective weapon to fight crime courtesy of the city.

A man was driving his truck illegally through the Granary Square parking lot, driving over parking medians, with a suspended license, and didn’t notice as deputies approached.

“We’re going to continue these types of operations, and they’re especially effective in the summertime,” Dubin said.

“The city’s dozens of parks and miles of paseos are much easier to navigate on the T3s,” he added, “and they’re also great for patrolling in residential neighborhoods as a theft-deterrent.”

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