Greetings, Welcome to the May 2010 issue of the Westover Division Response Area 3 monthly community letter. In this issue you will find crime reviews for the month of April 2010 as well as an article about the Westover Division bicycle patrols. Please note the invitation to a CMPD community meeting at the end of the newsletter. 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 newsletter is available in Spanish. The Westover Division Response Area 3 continues to achieve significant gains in crime reduction for the year. We are currently at a 48% reduction in violent crime compared to 2009, a 29% reduction in property crime compared to 2009, and an overall 32% reduction in Part 1 crime compared to 2009. 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 May 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. WESTOVER BICYCLE PATROL Riding a bicycle has many advantages over a traditional patrol car. Officers on bicycle spend more time in an area and have a vantage point not typical with a car. Officers can weave in and around parking lots, up along sidewalks and walkways near businesses, and through narrow spaces not accessible by vehicle. In neighborhoods officers will patrol through a street more slowly, move in closer to homes and in between apartment buildings and an officer can hear more on a bicycle, such as suspicious sounds or indications of a disturbance. Officers on bicycle are also much more approachable. Citizens tend to talk more to officers on bicycle as it is easier to engage us. I have had some of my best conversations with neighbors and business leaders while out on the bicycle. Overall the bicycle is a great tool for crime prevention, enforcement, and community relations. We are looking forward to another great season of biking in Westover. See you out there. CMPD Westover Division: Response Area 3 Newsletter Now that the warmer weather is upon us you will likely see more police officers patrolling your neighborhoods and shopping centers on bicycle. In order for an officer to ride a bicycle for the police department the officer must first attend and pass a week long law enforcement bicycle certification course. We have approximately 8 certified officers in Response Area 3 and numerous more throughout the division. Officers who ride a bicycle do so at their request and it is a desirable position for many officers. We currently have officers on a waiting list to attend the training. The officers who ride bicycles are extremely proactive and community minded officers. Summary of significant April events: The suspects fled in a vehicle into the neighborhood off South Blvd. Police quickly responded, set up a perimeter, and closed off the neighborhood. Police found the abandoned suspect vehicle and through leads developed from the vehicle were able to arrest a suspect in the case. 1:50 AM when he was robbed by 3 suspects in a black Honda. around 8:20 PM when he was robbed by 4 suspects in a black Jeep Grand Cherokee. The victim sustained minor injuries from the suspects assaulting the victim with their fists. CMPD Westover Division: Response Area 3 Newsletter April 2010 Crime Statistics April 2010 Incident Type Frequency Larceny-Other 10 Larceny from Auto 9 Larceny-Shoplifting 8 Residential Burglary 8 Auto Theft 4 Armed Robbery 3 Commercial Burglary 3 Larceny from Building 3 Larceny of Bicycle 1 Total 49 The Westover Division Response Area 3 continues to hold strong with a 32% decrease in overall Part 1 crime for the year to date. We are currently ranked #2 out of 39 response areas for overall crime reduction. We are still continuing to see residential burglaries occur in the Montclaire III and Starmount neighborhoods, although it is fewer than we saw in March. Officers are concentrating their efforts in these areas daily. We have not developed a suspect(s) for these cases, but our increased police presence seems to be reducing the number of incidents. The incidents frequently occur in the early part of the work week and before lunch time. We are asking residents to pay close attention to your neighborhood and call 911 with any suspicious persons or vehicles in your neighborhoods. Don’t hesitate to call 911 with anything that makes you uneasy. Larceny from Auto Locations – April 2010 Residential Burglary Locations – April 2010 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 The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department would like to invite you to an International Outreach meeting to familiarize the community with the patrol divisions and personnel of the Central Division, Westover Division, and Steele Creek Division. The primary topic for this meeting will be an open forum in which citizens can exchange ideas and express concerns regarding crime, crime prevention, and other areas of concern that the police can assist with. Please extend this invitation to neighbors, church congregations, and businesses in your community. The meeting will be conducted in three phases: boundaries. concerns and ideas. We are hopeful that members from all our communities will attend and assist their communities and the police department in forming open discussion and dialog regarding issues that concern us all. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is always seeking ways to increase communication and better serve its citizens. We hope to see you there. If you require any further information contact Officer Morell at 704-432-2442 or rmorell@cmpd.org Thank you in advance for your participation. Sincerely, Robert Morell and Alex Cruz CMPD Westover Division: Response Area 3 Newsletter Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department International Outreach Meeting Community Meetings and Events: 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. If you have an event you would like advertised here please contact me at CMPD Westover Division: Response Area 3 Newsletter
Madison Park
Westover April 2010 Area 3 Newsletter
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Charlotte, North Carolina