To get the full version including maps of this Westover Area 3 newsletter, or a spanish version e-mail
jhulsey@cmpd.org and request to be added to the newsletter distributions.
Greetings, Welcome to the February 2010 issue of the Westover Division Response Area 3 monthly community letter. In this issue you will find crime reviews for the month of January 2010 as well as crime results for the 4 quarter of 2009. There is also burglary information all home owners should review. Please share this document with other members in your community. Public awareness of crime and crime patterns is vital to assist in developing lines of communication between citizens and police, as well as forming working relationships between citizens and police. If you or someone you know would like to be added to the distribution list for this document please contact me at Westover Division office at 704-432-2442. This newsletter is available in Spanish. I am pleased to report we achieved significant gains in crime reduction for the year 2009 and we are continuing to see gains thus far in 2010. More importantly, bonds have been established with many community members and businesses throughout the year. There has been great communication between citizens and police which has resulted in cases being solved that otherwise would not have. I am grateful to all of you who have reached out to us, the police, to express concerns, pass along information, or participate in community meetings or events. I look forward to getting to know more of you as we partner together to fight crime in our neighborhoods. Best regards Sergeant Jacquelyn Hulsey February 2010 CMPD Westover Division: Response Area 3 Newsletter Pictured above is the map of Westover Division Response Area 3. The response area is bordered by South Blvd. to the west and Woodlawn Rd. to the north. Major commercial areas in the response area include the South Blvd. corridor, Park Towne Village, and Park Selwyn Terrace. The majority of the response area is comprised of residential neighborhoods including Madison Park, Montclaire, Starmount, and others. Pinewood Elementary School, Montclaire Elementary School, Starmount Elementary School, and Smith Language Academy Middle School are also in the response area. The Lynx Light Rail runs along the border of the response area, and the Tyvola Station and Archdale Station are located within our boundaries. The Response Area encompasses 3.9 square miles of land area and 49 street miles. The approximate population is 12,698. Summary of significant January events: overnight hours. The vehicle was located by police in the North Charlotte area and suspects were arrested. left the bar with two suspects he did not know, and after driving around for a while one of the suspects pointed a gun at him. Dr. While at the home another male party came home and the two males became involved in a physical altercation. The male victim was hit in the head with a baton. employees back inside the business at gun point as they were locking up for the night. The suspects in this case were involved in multiple robberies throughout the city. The suspects have been arrested and charged with this robbery and numerous others. was stolen overnight and it was not secured when taken. suspect cut the hair of two 8 year old girls with scissors. This was reported to police due to ongoing problems with this student. block of South Blvd when a suspect approached her, punched her in the face, and stole her purse. CMPD Westover Division: Response Area 3 Newsletter January 2010 Crime Statistics January 2010 Incident Type Frequency Larceny-Shoplifting 15 Larceny from Auto 14 Larceny-Other 10 Residential Burglary 9 Larceny-Pocket Picking 3 Auto Theft 2 Strong Arm Robbery 2 Aggravated Assault-Gun 1 Aggravated Assault-Knife 1 Aggravated Assault-Other Weapon 1 Armed Robbery 1 Larceny-Purse Snatching 1 Total 60 Westover Response Area 3 saw great reductions in crime for the year 2009. For the 4 down -23%, Larceny from Auto was down -11%, and Robbery was down -41%. These statistics are in comparison to the 4 2008. Overall violent crime and property crime were down -23% for the 4 2009 compared to the 4 Thus far in 2010 we are continuing to see reductions in crime. Residential Burglary is down 31%, and Larceny from Auto is down 41% compared to January of 2009. Your Westover officers are dedicated to maintaining the gains achieved in the previous year and we will strive to find new and innovative ways to reduce crime further wherever possible. passed a threatening note demanding money to the teller. The suspect fled on foot after receiving cash. An alert citizen noticed the suspect running from the bank and pointed out the suspect to responding police. The suspect was arrested and during the investigation he was linked to another bank robbery that had occurred in another division days prior to this incident. Larceny from Auto Locations – January 2010 In five of the 14 incidents above the victims either stated they did not lock their vehicle, or there was no damage indicating any forced entry into the vehicle. Items such as IPod’s, GPS, etc, were stolen out of these vehicles. 2 incidents were license plates being stolen off the rear of a vehicle, and 1 incident was a front bumper being stolen off a car. Of the remaining cases where force was used to access the vehicle the more common method of entry was smashing a window. Windows are commonly smashed in order to make a quick grab of valuables left in sight such as GPS units, purses or bags down on the floorboard, etc. CMPD Westover Division: Response Area 3 Newsletter Residential Burglary Locations – January 2010 Of the 9 incidents listed above 6 of these occurred during the daytime when residents are typically at work, 1 incident occurred during overnight hours, and 1 incident occurred in the evening. The remaining incident had too broad of a time frame to determine when it occurred. The most common method of entry was kicking or forcing open a door. 1 incident listed an unlocked window as the point of entry and 1 incident listed an open rear door with no sign of force. Also, one incident this month was domestic related wherein an ex-boyfriend used a garage door opener to gain entry into the home. Regarding the incidents where a door was kicked in, this is a common method of entry on burglary cases and a surprisingly easy practice. It also seems to be a preferred method of entry for teenagers. It requires no tools and no special skills. There are some measures you can take to better secure your doors and minimize your risk. There are products available on the market to strengthen the door jamb and prevent it from splintering when a door is kicked and there are products that can be placed against the door to strengthen it. Below are some links to videos on “youtube”. One video is a young male kicking in a door which demonstrates just how easy it is, and the other video demonstrates one of the door jamb security devices. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE9pfSDqJxo&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4JExGUohoQ CMPD Westover Division: Response Area 3 Newsletter Crime Prevention Tips: Larcenies from Auto the intent to steal an item from within the vehicle, as opposed to stealing the vehicle itself. Although these larcenies from auto occur at any time and at any location, the majority of them are occurring in medium to large sized parking lots at business locations or apartment buildings. Citizens are often leave items in plain view in their vehicles which are being stolen. The vehicles are being entered either through an unlocked door, or by force, such as breaking a window or prying the door open. Items commonly stolen are GPS units, MP3 music players, cellular phones, briefcases/handbags, sunglasses, and even loose change lying in cup holders or ash trays. To minimize the risk of becoming a victim, please remove all visible evidence of these items from your vehicle. This would include items such as power cords or mounting devices as these items may lead a suspect to believe the electronic device is stored somewhere else in the vehicle. Residential Burglaries leaves the victims feeling violated and uncertain as to their safety. The burglaries in Response Area 3 tend to occur during daylight hours when no one is in the residence. As a general rule, a suspect breaking into a home is after property and does not want to encounter a resident. This is why these incidents commonly occur while individuals are at work. This does not mean you should not safeguard yourself from an intrusion during the evening. Please be sure to keep your doors and windows secure, and employ the use of lighting, hedge trimming, and other safety tips to keep your home safe and unappealing for would be burglars. If you would like an officer to evaluate your home for safety and security feel free to contact the Community Coordinator Officers at the Westover Division, 704-432-2442. Please be alert and aware of activity in your neighborhood. Encourage your neighbors who are home during the day to take an active role in watching the neighborhood as well. If you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood report it to police by calling 911. Residents are sometimes reluctant to call police and report a suspicious person because they fear they may be wrong. We (the police) would rather respond and not be needed versus not being called and have a break-in. Another crime tactic employed by burglars is to knock or ring a doorbell to see if a resident is home before breaking in. This is rare, but does occasionally occur. If you are home and receive an unexpected knock at the door make your presence known by announcing a statement through the shut and locked door. A simple statement such as “I’m busy!” will alert a thief to your presence and discourage an unwanted encounter with you. Auto Thefts complexes, business locations, or other parking lots. Vehicle theft from a private residence in Response Area 3 is rare, but does occasionally occur. To minimize your chances of becoming a victim of Auto Theft remember to park in well lit areas, close to buildings or other people. Keep your car doors and windows secured, and consider extra security measures such as audible alarms or “The Club”. Do not leave a car running or with the keys inside while unattended. This is an invitation for an opportunistic thief. This is also a violation of City CMPD Westover Division: Response Area 3 Newsletter Ordinance and officers are actively enforcing the ordinance by issuing citations. Citizens often ask “What if I have a vehicle with the remote start feature?” Our response is that the potential thief may not realize the engine will shut off when the vehicle is entered. The thief may still break a window to access the car, and ultimately a crime is still committed. Other Crime Tips: Please record the serial numbers of your valuable items in a secure place. Remember, if you save the serial numbers only on your computer and your computer is stolen you won’t be able to provide the information to police. Serial numbers are crucial to police to be able to recover property and develop suspects in cases. Photograph jewelry and other valuables that don’t have a serial number. Engraving is another excellent way to identify your property and deter thieves. If you are going to engrave your property, engrave your driver’s license or state identification number on the item. Do not engrave your social security number for security reasons. We have engravers at the Westover Division office we will gladly loan you. During school hours watch for and report truant juveniles to police. Juveniles absent from school and wandering neighborhoods and shopping centers will likely create mischief or commit crimes. Westover Division has School Resource Officers and a truancy officer who are dedicated to tracking juvenile offenders, monitoring school attendance, and returning truant youths to school. A call to 911 to report truancy will assist them in doing their jobs. If you see suspicious activities please don’t disregard them. Trust your instincts and call 911. If you see someone lurking around your neighbor’s home call 911 first and then call the neighbor. While waiting for police be the best witness you can be. Don’t approach the potential offender. Just look for as many identifying features about the person or vehicle as you can safely observe. CMPD Westover Division: Response Area 3 Newsletter Community Meetings and Events: The City of Charlotte is kicking off the winter/spring semester of the University City YMCA (8100 Old Mallard Creek Road) on Thursday Feb. 4 for on Feb. 18 for who are newly elected to neighborhood association boards, but also great for those who are experienced at board service. Participants will have an opportunity to complete a self-assessment to determine their leadership style! Workshop times are 6:30-8:30 pm, and they are still offered at no cost to participants, and light refreshments are served – that’s a deal that’s hard to beat! Please register at · · · · CMPD Westover Division: Response Area 3 Newsletter CMPD Westover Division: Response Area 3 Newsletter CMPD Westover Division: Response Area 3 Newsletter Madison Park Community Meeting Selwyn Park Community Meeting 7:30 PM Meet quarterly – Date to be determined Second Monday of each month 4800 Wedgewood Dr. Wedgewood Baptist Church Starmount Community Meeting Meet annually – Date to be determined Montclaire Community Meeting 7:00 PM Fourth Monday of each month Montclaire III Community Meeting Archdale Church of Christ Meet annually – Date to be determined 2525 Archdale Dr. Montford Dr. Business Initiative meeting, February 12, 2010, 2:00 PM, location to be determined CMPD Westover Division: Response Area 3 Newsletter
