Thursday, October 28, 2010

Letter from the Police Chief regarding Traffic Collsion and Community Impact

October 28, 2010

Dear Community Members:

This morning, commuters in Los Alamitos, as well as Rossmoor and the northern part of Seal Beach, faced major traffic congestion resulting from the closure of the northbound lanes of Los Alamitos Blvd. due to a serious traffic collision. As the Chief of Police in Los Alamitos, I would like to thank the motorists for their patience and ask for your understanding of the efforts that were taken to ensure the proper response and investigation.

Read entire letter here.

Pedestrian Traffic Collision

A pedestrian crossing the street at Orangewood Avenue and Los Alamitos Boulevard sustained serious injuries after being struck by a maroon Honda Civic early this morning at approximately 6:51 A.M. The driver of the Honda Civic was making a left turn from Orangewood Avenue onto Los Alamitos Boulevard when she collided with an adult pedestrian attempting to cross the street in the crosswalk at the time of the collision. The pedestrian was treated by members of the Orange County Fire Authority and was subsequently transported to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the collision. The Los Alamitos Police Department is asking that anyone who may have witnessed the collision contact Traffic Sergeant Maria O’Connell at (562) 431-2255, extension 418 with information.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Weekly Crime Summary

A new Weekly Crime Summary is available for October 10 to October 16.

The most recent Weekly Crime Summaries will be listed on the homepage of our website, http://www.losalamitospolice.org/.

You can find older Weekly Crime Summaries in our COP Team area here.

Be Safe. Be Prepared.

Real Orange - Social Media News Report


Watch the full episode. See more Real Orange.

KOCE Reporter David Nazar investigated the use of Social Media by the Los Alamitos Police Department. See his story on Real Orange.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Los Alamitos Police Arrest Highlands Vehicle Burglary Suspects

Press Release dated October 14, 2010

Officers were called to investigate two (2) suspicious subjects loitering in the area of the 12000 block of Reagan Street in the early morning hours of Thursday, October 14. At approximately 3:30 am, two separate anonymous witnesses observed the subjects acting suspiciously near an unattended Black Mercedes Benz parked on the street in the southern part of the Highlands neighborhood. As officers arrived to the area and were being directed to the location of the suspicious persons, they found one male subject seated in the Mercedes rummaging through it, while another subject was crouched behind a resident’s wall. Both subjects were immediately detained without incident and the officer’s subsequent investigation determined at least five (5) additional vehicles in the same neighborhood had been victimized. An assortment of personal property such as, electronics, clothing, and other miscellaneous items were taken and subsequently recovered. The suspects, Enrique Francisco Lopez, 25, and his brother, Christopher Edward Lopez, 30, both of Santa Ana, targeted cars that were locked and unlocked. They were arrested and booked on multiple counts of burglary, grand theft, possession of burglary tools, and possession of stolen property. Both were transported to the Seal Beach Detention Facility where they will be transferred to the Orange County Jail. Property seized from the suspect’s car is thought to be connected to other similar crimes and police detectives are seeking to locate potential victims from as far away as the Inland Empire. Los Alamitos has seen a significant increase in vehicle burglaries and thefts from unlocked cars within the last two (2) months, and the public is reminded to take appropriate precautions to minimize their chances of becoming a victim. They can also stay abreast of crime trends throughout the City by visiting the police department’s website at www.LosAlamitosPolice.org and clicking on the Crime Summary link.

If the public has any additional information regarding these crimes, please telephone the Los Alamitos Police Detective Bureau supervisor at (562) 431-2255 ext. 405.

Submitted by:


Captain Bruce McAlpine
Los Alamitos Police Department
(562) 431-2255, extension 420


See original press release here.

Police Officer Sworn In

The City of Los Alamitos welcomes a new police officer to the ranks of the Police Department. On September 23, 2010, Officer Samantha Mathias was sworn in as the City's newest peace officer. Officer Mathias was hired as a police recruit while she attended Golden West College Police Academy where she graduated on March 19. Unable to hire her full-time due to fiscal restraints at that time, Officer Mathias remained with the department and began training as a reserve officer until a full-time position became available. The City of Los Alamitos and Chief Todd Mattern is pleased to have Officer Mathias join our staff.

Pictured is Chief Mattern with Officer Mathias.

Weekly Crime Summary

A new Weekly Crime Summary is available for October 3 to October 9.

The most recent Weekly Crime Summaries will be listed on the homepage of our website, http://www.losalamitospolice.org/.

You can find older Weekly Crime Summaries in our COP Team area here.

Be Safe. Be Prepared.

Los Alamitos/Seal Beach RACES Drill

On Saturday, October 2, Los Alamitos / Seal Beach RACES, Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, participated in a countywide emergency communications drill. Using a wildland fire scenario, RACES radio officers tested equipment, procedures, and capabilities for providing emergency communication during a disaster. Radio communications included a “message blitz” in which general messages were sent and received between the county, cities and other emergency groups. Another component of the exercise included the passage of a single message from city to city and then back to the originator to test the accuracy of message handling. Although Los Alamitos doesn’t have the capability, other mediums of communication, including SSTV video and Winlink were tested by other RACES cities (including Seal Beach).

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Weekly Crime Summary

A new Weekly Crime Summary is available for September 26 to October 2.

The most recent Weekly Crime Summaries will be listed on the homepage of our website, http://www.losalamitospolice.org/.

You can find older Weekly Crime Summaries in our COP Team area here.

Be Safe. Be Prepared.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Weekly Crime Summary

A new Weekly Crime Summary is available for September 19 to September 25.

The most recent Weekly Crime Summaries will be listed on the homepage of our website, http://www.losalamitospolice.org/.

You can find older Weekly Crime Summaries in our COP Team area here.

Be Safe. Be Prepared.