There is a Special Meeting tonight hosted by Glenoaks Canyon Homeowners Association (GOCHA) and the Glenoaks Canyon Neighborhood Watch and presented by the Glendale Police Department.

The meeting is tonight, Thursday, March 1st from 6:30pm – 8:00pm at the Joe Bridges Clubhouse in Glenoaks Park.

Please join us and your neighbors and learn how you can protect yourself and help make our canyon a safer neighborhood for all of us at this important meeting.

Click here for more information.

There was a residential burglary on Tuesday on Mt. Carmel which occurred between the hours of 8:50am and 11:00am.  The point of entry was a bedroom window accessible from the hillside.  The front door was the point of exit and was left shut, but not locked.  Items taken include: two large screen televisions and jewelry.  All bedrooms were ransacked.

The Glendale Police Department is talking to neighbors and working leads.  The previous residential burglary was late in the day on a Friday (January 27 between 5:00PM-7:00PM) at the top of the Canyon.

Things to be vigilant about:

• Keep watch on neighbors who have set routines.  They are predictable and become targets.
• If you have access to your home from the side, consider fortifying the back like you would the front.
• Look outside and pay attention to unusual activity.  If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

Last week, we had thefts from several unlocked cars.  Interestingly, a block captain several neighborhoods over (Glenmore and Trenton) called in at 3:30am to report a male in a hoodie carrying a backpack trying door handles….How much do you want to wager that the next place he headed was up the Canyon?

Fellow Glenoaks Residents:

We continue to have break-ins and burglaries in our canyon. Please read this important message from Glendale Police Officer Sue Shine.

Four vehicles were broken into overnight on Feb 15 in the Canyon. Here is what I have:

On Coutin Lane: vehicles were left unlocked and parked on street. Contents were rummaged through and miscellaneous items (ID, credit cards) were taken from one.

Up on East Glenoaks, another car was locked and access was made by unknown means (possible Slim Jim type tool). Items shuffled and sunglasses taken. In the same area, there was a report of entry to a home through a garage on Ashburton. Once inside, thieves took surfboards and a bike.

These do not sound like seasoned thieves. I think we are dealing with some young, possibly drug addicted youth looking for folks who are easy targets. Usually, they go back to the same well until it is dry. Please tell your neighbor who has a habit of leaving the car unlocked to lock it. Also, remind folks to remove EVERYTHING that even LOOKS valuable from the car every night. Lastly, shut your garage unless you are in it and if you are one who comes or goes in the wee hours, be watchful. Most of these crooks are on foot and operate between 0100-0500hrs. If you see anyone not otherwise occupied walking a dog or jogging,  call 818-548-4841 and report the description, location, and what they are doing (walking up driveways, carrying a flashlight and looking into cars, trying door handles of cars, etc).

Be careful and stay vigilant. If we all keep an eye out for each other and report suspicious activity, eventually these criminals will get the message and move out of the canyon.

Be safe.

From Officer Sue Shine:

As you may be aware, we had a daytime residential burglary on November 30. A neighbor reported seeing a tan sedan with two Males in their 20′s, possibly Middle Eastern leaving the victim’s home around 3:00pm. The items taken were electronics (flat screen TV, iPads, etc).

On Friday, December 2, two reports came in. The first was reported early in the morning and the second was similar to the described one above. In this case, the victim returned home at 11:20am and found their home ransacked.

The locations:
2400 block of Sleepy Hollow (reported upon discovery at 5:00am)

2500 block of Gardner Place (reported shortly after the occurrence at 11:20am)

I will get all relevant details in the morning and examine our strategies to stop these crooks. The time frame to be extra vigilant is Monday-Friday during working hours. Burglars do not usually strike on weekends because we are all home. Those of you who are at home during the weekday are encouraged to take walks and rake all those leaves up so the crooks see you and will keep going.

I assure you we will be up there in marked and unmarked vehicles and I will provide updates as I receive them.

As always, if you see a car driving slowly, perhaps more than one time, or any activity at a neighbors home that is unusual, CALL 911. Do not wait to call.

There have been numerous thefts of tools from white work vans over the past year throughout Glendale.  We had never had one in Glenoaks Canyon, until November 25.  Sometime overnight, while parked on the street, a white Chevy Express van was entered and tools were stolen in the 2200 Block of East Glenoaks.  The owner said he was certain the van was locked, but no signs of force was located.

If you or someone you know owns a similar vehicle, let them know that they are being targeted.
If they are looking at vans in the canyon, assume they are looking for other victims!  LOCK YOUR CAR and REMOVE ALL PROPERTY FROM SIGHT!  If they see something that looks like it may have value, they will shatter the window and take it (empty gym bags, computer cases, GPS cords, change in the console, sunglasses are just some of the items we have had stolen from cars in driveways and on the street in Glendale).

During the holidays, remove all packages from the car and have neighbors fetch your package deliveries whenever possible.  Don’t put letters in the mailbox at home to go out and retrieve your mail promptly.  We are seeing a huge increase in MAILBOX THEFT.  If thieves take something with your information on it, they will steal your identity or wash and cash your checks.
Report suspicious activity to : 818-548-4841

From Officer Sue Shine of the Glendale Police Dept.:

Neighbors,

I have been receiving multiple reports of thefts from mailboxes and we have had some arrests where mail was recovered in possession of the suspects.  Right now, they are occurring up in the Chevy Chase Canyon area and seem to be targeting street mounted boxes in the overnight hours.  Locking boxes are being pried and some mail has been found discarded in cul-de-sacs.  Some people are reporting fraud attempts on their accounts.  As the holidays approach and more felons are released from custody due to the Early Release Program, package deliveries and postal boxes are tempting targets.  Below is the message I sent to the folks being hit by these thieves to provide guidance.  At this time NO THEFTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN  GLENOAKS CANYON.  This is a preventative message because it is likely that, unless they are caught, the thieves will move on soon.

What can you do?

• Check your box or, if you are not at home all day, ask a neighbor to pick it up for you.
• Never put mail to go out in your box (take it to the post office)
• If you are home during the day, open the blinds and curtains and look outside to see if anyone walks by.  Call if you see anything unusual!  Not only will this discourage mail theft, but burglars will think twice too.
• CHECK YOUR STATEMENTS ONLINE IMMEDIATELY.  Make sure no one has gained access to any accounts

Mail theft is a tricky crime to prosecute.  If you know you are a victim, you may report it directly to the Postal Service as theft from the mailbox is a federal crime.  The two ways to do this are to call: 877-876-2455 (select option #5) or online at: U.S. Postal Inspector.

If you are a victim of identity theft, bring whatever documents confirm this to the station or call to have an officer respond to your home (818-548-4841)

Officer Sue Shine 
East Command, Lead Officer 
Glendale Police Department
131 North Isabel Street 
Glendale, CA 91206
Office: (818) 937-8769 | Cell: (818) 402-4523 
Fax: (818) 409-7013 | E-mail: sshine@ci.glendale.ca.us

Yesterday afternoon, a Glendale resident reported a group of people assertively walking onto their property, making inquiries about rentals and asking to look in back yards.  The incident occurred near Verdugo Woodlands School.  Last month, a male claimed to be from the “Water Company” near Adventist Hospital and attempted to gain access to the home and yard of the resident.  Based upon the description of the individuals, the method they are using to gain access, and the out of state plate obtained yesterday (Ohio), it appears we are experiencing new gypsy scams.  Some of these scams will appear legitimate (door to door sales of fertilizer, driveway repair solicitors, “city” workers doing inspections), but all types are criminal. Many use multiple people, including children in an effort to confuse or distract the victim.  Other groups will use numbers and force their way into a home after their ruse has failed.  The goal is to relieve you of cash or property.

What can you do?  If anyone comes to your yard or door soliciting ANYTHING, ask for their City of Glendale Permit.  Chances are, that will be enough for them to move on.  If you see them going door-to door and suspect criminal intent, see if there is an involved vehicle and write down the plate.  Then call (818) 548-4841 to report the details of the scam to dispatch.  Please be patient if it takes us awhile to respond.  We are responding to calls citywide and it may be some time before an officer can break to respond.  If you have the description and a license plate, your statement should be all they need.

If you would like more information on what our City Clerk does permit, or to verify one shown to you, their number is: 818-548-2090

Come join Officer Sue Shine and your Glenoaks Canyon neighbors for a Neighborhood Watch training and burglary prevention meeting.

While the crime in our canyon is extremely low, the Glendale Police Department wants to help us institute a neighborhood watch program so we can keep our canyon safe for all of us.

The meeting will be held on June 29, 2011 at the Joe Bridges Clubhouse in Glenoaks Park.

Agenda:

5:30 – 6:00 Arrive early for introductions

6:00 – 7:00 Burglary prevention slideshow/Crime overview

7:00 – 7:30 What is Neighborhood Watch?

7:30 – 8:00 Meet neighbors and sign up

Click here to see the Flyer.

Come join Officer Sue Shine and your Glenoaks Canyon neighbors for a Neighborhood Watch training and burglary prevention meeting.

While the crime in our canyon is extremely low, the Glendale Police Department wants to help us institute a neighborhood watch program so we can keep our canyon safe for all of us.

The meeting will be held on June 29, 2011 at the Joe Bridges Clubhouse in Glenoaks Park.

Agenda:

5:30 – 6:00  Arrive early for introductions

6:00 – 7:00  Burglary prevention slideshow/Crime overview

7:00 – 7:30  What is Neighborhood Watch?

7:30 – 8:00  Meet neighbors and sign up

Click here to see the Flyer.

Officer Sue Shine and GOCHA have decided to cancel Thursday evening’s meeting due to the conflict with Glenoaks School’s Open House.  It will be rescheduled and we will let you know the new date as soon as it has been arranged.  Sorry for the last minute notice but we want the kick off meeting to be as well attended as possible.  Thank you for your interest in this new program. We will see you soon.