Website Improvements

The Official site of the Los Alamitos Police Department, http://www.losalamitospolice.org/, is undergoing a re-model. Thank you for your patience as there will be ongoing additions and improvements during this period. Updated information and new features are planned which we hope will improve your experience.

Your feedback as a user of this site is valuable. Please let us know what information you feel would be valuable for our webteam to include. Forward comments to Sgt Sean Connolly sconnolly@ci.los-alamitos.ca.us or 562-431-2255 x 422.

O.C. Health Care Agency Urges Precautions to Prevent Bats from Entering Your Home

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Howard Sutter
August 28, 2007
(714) 834-2178

(Santa Ana) – The Orange County Health Care Agency has received a number of phone calls this year from area residents who are concerned about bats that have entered their homes.

Several species of bats are native to Orange County and bats are beneficial to the ecosystem for many reasons, including their consumption of insects.

However, bats can carry rabies, a virus of great concern to people and animals.

"Many of our recent calls have been from people who have found bats in their homes," said Hildy Meyers, M.D., Medical Director of Public Health Epidemiology. "In these cases, the bats most likely flew into the homes through an open door or window. We encourage all Orange County residents to make sure their doors and windows have proper screens that will keep bats and other animals as well as insects, like mosquitoes, out of their homes."

Since bats can squeeze into very small spaces, steps should be taken to bat-proof the exterior of your home or other buildings on your property. This includes closing all outside openings larger than 3/8" inch by using mesh, netting, caulking or other sealants.

In 2007, five (5) bats found in Orange County have tested positive for rabies. This is approximately 9% of all of the bats submitted for testing, about the same percentage of positive rabies tests as reported in previous years.

The best advice is to never touch a bat with your bare hands, even if it appears to be dead. Anyone who has been bitten or scratched by a bat should seek medical attention immediately. If you observe a bat in your home, confine it to one unoccupied room of the house and call your local animal control agency. Animal control officers will remove the bat from the home for testing. Animal control should also be notified if you observe a bat that is acting abnormally during daylight hours. It is very important to make sure that your pets are currently vaccinated to protect them from rabies.

Potential exposure to a bat should be reported to Orange County Public Health Epidemiology at (714) 834-8180. This includes bare handed contact with a bat, sleeping in the same room in which a bat is found or finding a bat in the room of an unattended child.

Distraction Burglary Prevention

The Los Alamitos Police Department is educating the community to combat a form of burglary that does not occur frequently, but when it does occur it is often a high loss crime and targets the elderly and other vulnerable residents. It is suspected that these types of crimes sometimes may go unreported, as their commission requires an element of trust. The victim may feel embarrassed that their trust was violated by the criminal and may lead to the victim avoiding reporting the incident.

In Los Alamitos, alleged suspects have posed as estimators for home improvement work and other types of un-anticipated salespeople, calling on the victim at the front of their home.

In general, the scam goes as follows. A person approaches either the home or the resident outside. They will have a reason to sell something to you, to inspect something for you, or otherwise move you to another part of the house or yard. They may accompany you to the back yard to check on the impact of the “work they are doing next door,” or they may want you to show them the problem-plumbing fixture they would like to fix for you. In the meantime, their accomplice(s) walked in the open front or back door, or even an open window, while the resident is in the back yard or another part of the house. The accomplice(s) is looking for high value items while the resident is kept distracted. Most criminals learn their craft in short order and know where to look for cash, jewelry, strong boxes, and safes.

These criminals are appropriately dressed, articulate, have props making them look legitimate (i.e.: business cards, clip boards to jot down their estimates, etc.), and have a variety of strategies to gain your trust.

The crime is insidious as the variety of strategies, approaches, and props to gain people’s trust is only limited by their imagination. The disturbing aspect is that these ruthless people have your trust, and the criminal’s full intention is unknown.

Other methods for the suspects to gain the trust and compliance of their victims include:

• Posing as Neighborhood Watch volunteers
• Posing as utility company personnel
• Posing as a good Samaritan who is reporting an unsafe condition in or around your home
• Posing as police officers

The Los Alamitos Police Department does not want to unduly frighten residents, but it is important to be aware of techniques that are used to gain access to your home. Possible victims and their neighbors should be aware of the varieties of scams used to get through the front or back door of the home.

• Keep your doors locked and attempt to identify callers at your front door before opening. Some people fear that they may be construed as being rude. It is NOT rude to ensure your safety and the safety of your family and property. If the caller does not agree with this treatment, they can leave quietly.
• Utility companies are aware of these types of situations and should have procedures in place for a resident to call and verify the identity of an employee before a resident allows access to the home or property. These companies often hire contractors, who may not have utility company uniforms but they should have some type of identification and they should have a procedure of identifying themselves with the contracting employer. Residents should look up the phone number of the utility company themselves, rather than using a telephone number provided which may go directly to an accomplice.
• Use caution when people you do not recognize attempt to distract you by claiming they have seen something unsafe or dangerous in your yard or somewhere which may encourage you to leave your house. Accomplices may be nearby waiting for the opportunity to take advantage.
• If you are not convinced of the identity of the caller, don't let them in. Ask the caller to come back later and arrange for a friend, relative or neighbor to be present upon their return or ask the caller to contact this person.
• Remember a genuine caller won't mind waiting while you check their identity thoroughly.
• Please look out for your elderly relatives and neighbors as these criminals identify them as an easy target.

Treat every stranger with caution, if you are suspicious of the person’s actions or are unable to reasonably identify the person initiating contact with you in these circumstances, don’t hesitate to call the Police Department and ask for assistance. The Los Alamitos Police Department would much rather respond and determine the situation is as it should be, rather than be called later and find that our resident has been the victim of this scam.

Catalytic Converter Thefts

Crime Advisory: Catalytic Converter Thefts

Several thefts of catalytic converters from parked vehicles were reported from the Apartment Row neighborhood during the past week. This problem has been occurring in other jurisdictions as well. The catalytic converters, which can cost over $500 to replace, are popular among thieves because they contain platinum and can be recycled for cash. The thieves generally crawl under the vehicles and either saw off the converters or remove the bolts that hold them in place. Sport utility vehicles and trucks are frequent targets due to their higher ground clearance. Most of the thefts in Los Alamitos were from Toyotas where only four bolts hold the catalytic converter in place.

Although officers are diligently patrolling Los Alamitos neighborhoods in the late evening and early morning hours looking for the perpetrators of these thefts, we are asking for your vigilance in immediately reporting any suspicious activity.

Police Dispatch (562) 594-7232
Emergency 9-1-1

C.E.R.T. Class #4 Begins September 27, 2007

West County CERT, which includes the cities of Buena Park, Cypress, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and the Orange County Fire Authority, will be hosting its fourth CERT class in the City of La Palma beginning Thursday September 27th from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) is an eight week course that will meet consecutively on Thursday nights through November 15th. Students learn skills in basic first aid, fire suppression, search and rescue, and disaster psychology, all of which will be critical during a disaster.

All members of the public who are above the age of 15 are encouraged to attend, and class is limited to 50 students. For more information please contact Sergeant Bruce McAlpine City of Los Alamitos Police Department Emergency Services Coordinator at 431-2255 ext 445 or see http://www.westcountycert.com/ for details.

If you are interested in signing up you can contact Police Department Secretary Catherine Howard at 431-2255 ext.401