Captain’s Corner
As always, on behalf of those who serve and protect from the North Hollywood Community Police Station, I would like to once again wish everyone within our community a happy and healthy New Year. It seems as though just as store shelves are emptied of items from the winter holidays, they are already packed with Valentine’s Day items and a holiday that is only a week away. It’s also a great time to once again reflect on not only our loved ones, but that of our extended family as well.
As I spoke about in last month’s newsletter, I again want to reiterate to all of you to become actively involved in your community. Get to know your neighbors, as well as the police officers that are patrolling your neighborhoods. Neighborhood Watch meetings are a great time to do both and they can easily be arranged by your contacting the Senior Lead Officer who represents your area. It is amazing all the good that comes from watching out for each other and our properties. Again, if you see something, say something. For example, just a few weeks ago one of our volunteers saw something that didn’t feel quite right. A quick call to the station sent out units who were able to immediately assess the situation. This is a perfect time to remind all of you that neither the Los Angeles Police Department, nor the Los Angeles Fire Department ever go door-to-door asking for donations, nor do we solicit over the telephone. Our volunteer knew this and was able to quickly alert the police.
That being said, last month there were several burglaries in the Studio City area, which you may have seen on the local news. Property crime continues to be a huge challenge; however, if we all work together we will definitely see a decrease in the North Hollywood area. Talk to your neighbors, your mail carrier, landscapers, maintenance workers, and anyone else you come in contact with. You are the eyes and ears of the community and extended family, we all need to communicate and work together to make North Hollywood safer with each day.
Another area of concern is in regards to garage burglaries. Oftentimes, residents forget to shut the garage door or leave for a quick trip to the store. Although a house may be alarmed, in most cases the garage is not, and it only takes a minute for someone to walk away with some very expensive tools. An open garage door, with or without a car inside, is also an invitation to take advantage of the situation. It’s a small but important fact.
The officers at the North Hollywood Police Station continue to close down many of the marijuana collectives in the neighborhood, leaving only those that are in compliance with the law open, and they have been coming into our area at an alarming rate. To that end, we will continue to work with the state and federal government in making sure that any business in North Hollywood works within the guidelines of the laws that are in place.