PALMDALE – Palmdale Sheriff Station is seeking the public’s help in combating a rising trend in Burglaries and Thefts in their patrol area.
Detectives and Crime Analysts have identified a slight rise in the year to date number of thefts, burglaries, and auto thefts compared to this time last year. In reviewing the cases this year, detectives have identified some trends in what thieves are targeting when committing these types of crimes.
The majority of the thefts occurring appear to be crimes of opportunity.
“Valuable items such as IPods, tablets, GPS’s and other electronics are being left on the seats of cars which are oftentimes locked. These items are easily recognizable and criminals are taking advantage of the easy pickings,” commented Lieutenant Kennedy who oversees the Palmdale Station’s Detective Bureau. “These crimes are not fully planned, but bad guys just take a quick look into the vehicles to see what can be taken.”
Palmdale Station is encouraging the community to become active in combating crime in their community by participating in the Crime Prevention Programs it offers. Details on these programs can be obtained from the City of Palmdale’s Public Safety Office at 661-267-5170. Community members can also assist in preventing crime by following the tips below:
- Call the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station, (661) 272-2400, at the first sign of anyone casing vehicles or homes. Casing = looking into vehicles or homes or loitering around them with no apparent lawful purpose.
- Report persons sitting in parked vehicles with no apparent purpose.
- Call 9-1-1 if you see anyone tampering with automobiles.
- Call 9-1-1 immediately if you see someone climbing over a fence into a back or side yard or breaking into a residence.
- If you see suspicious activity, be a good witness. Try to get a vehicle license plate number. If you can’t get the vehicle license plate number try to get as much identifying information about the vehicle or person as you can. For vehicles get, color, make, model, damage, type of rims, stickers, etc. For suspicious people get clothing, scars, tattoos, oddities, etc.
- Take a cell phone picture or video of the person or vehicle if you can safely do so. Save/store the information in your phone.
- Write down license plates of unfamiliar vehicles in your neighborhood in case something comes for them at a later date. The information may solve a case should a crime be occurring.
The Sheriff’s Department is working hard to end these thefts by deploying additional personnel in the area, and using extra deputies and Volunteers on Patrol to help monitor parking lots, according to Lieutenant Larry Gregg, of the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Bureau.
“While these extra efforts will help, we really need the assistance of the public by ensuring their vehicles are locked and valuables are stored in a secure area (trunk) if they wish to leave them in the car” Gregg said.
Lieutenant Gregg went on to say that the nearly five year decrease in crime in the area can be directly attributed to the partnerships built between the Sheriff’s Department, Cities and the public. Reminders such as this one will help in continuing that downward trend and help keep the community safe.
(Information via press release from the Palmdale Station.)
Laysha says
@Darryl and his friends here… A famous quote by George Herbert says:
“LIVING WELL IS THE BEST REVENGE.”
Herbert was a poet, orator and religious leader who lived from 1593-1633 and seemed to be well ahead of many people posting here.
It would do local young people well to remember this phrase and repeat it every time you’re about to make a dumb choice that’s going to get you handcuffed and hated. Stealing gadgets out of people’s cars and vandalizing backyards is not going to prove that you’re tough and not backing down, Darryl. It’s going to give you practice toward becoming a criminal loser and perhaps spend the rest of your life in jail. It’s going to keep you from getting educated and having a well paying job, being successful and living with confidence.
Why would you want to prove those old guys right about you? Show them what you’re made of… not trash.
And you race-obsessed people are hurting a lot of others from both sides. Burning crosses? Throwing URINE??? You’ve got to be kidding. You’ve kept my husband and I from moving to the area. We did a walk-thru of a nice looking home, got pre-qualified, then upon researching the vibe of the area we read a bunch of blogs and forums with these kind of exchanges. The house is still there but I doubt we’re going to take it now. I want to live without worrying about getting my patio furniture stolen, and without being surrounded by angry young men. Treat everyone with the utmost level of respect and dignity and maybe they wouldn’t be so darn pissed off.
However, that anger, whatever the cause, is NO excuse for stealing, vandalizing or committing violent acts. Inasmuch as fear of crime is NOT a free ticket to treat people like crap and make assumptions about everyone you see.
You ALL are creating a level of Hell to live in, so why don’t you just GET COLOR BLIND, GROW UP and get on with enjoying your lives? I’m sorry that we probably won’t become part of the solution, but I can’t see why I should leave “down here” where people smile and are polite to each other to trade in for someone burning a cross on my lawn because my eyes are brown and then stealing my husband’s GPS because his are blue. More square footage in a house is not going to make up for that lifestyle downgrade.
“Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.” ~Romans 12:19.
Check yourselves, beautiful people. I literally weep for you all.
Abdul Majeed Askia says
Solutions:Strive to be the best person you can be,encourage others to be
positive;and come to the community round table April 28th from 1:to 6:pm
at 348 east k-8 suite ‘C’ in Lancaster. Various community leaders with
be addressing the audience as well as your participation.
abdulaskia@yahoo.com
Pastor Gerry Mitchel 661-212-5464
Darryl says
Your soul is lost in hatred. Cheat us, beat us or shoot us. We aint leaving. Unleash your devil god Parris on us and we still aint moving. Try burning a cross on our lawm and we aint leaving. I dont know who you pray to but it aint Jesus. I will pray for you.
Tina Marie says
The fact that you still believe in some mythological figure called ” the devil” tells me everything I need to know about you and your apparent maturity level. You probably still think the earth was made in 7 days don’t you?
Darryl says
There is nothing mythocal about the devil. Hes short, pudgy and wears a white beard like Santa Clause who is mythocal. Go burn a cross on someones lawn and make Parris proud.
. says
The way the word devil is thrown around by blacks when talking about whites, it’s just the new politically correct way of saying [removed], without actually using those words.
Darryl says
Kind of like the word white people like to throw around to remind Blacks of what they are and so whites can feel superior.
NWA says
Ditto,Darryl
Darryl says
This racist troll you talk of aint going away until this Parris fool who thinks hes Santa Clause goes away and stops feeding hatred against Black Peole.
Erica says
People… please don’t feed the racist troll. Ignore it and maybe it will go away…
Tina Marie says
why dont you GO AWAY!
Cindy says
Hmmm- let’s see,early prison release,no section 8 enforcement,increase in crime.No brainer.
..... says
Why doesnt Palmdale Station follow Lancaster Stations role in the advancements they have put in place with the technology Lancaster is using? Lancaster Station has state of the art technology to track criminal activity and what does Palmdale get? Oh yeah i forgot- we get a useless “committee” to come and meet once a month and talk about how “oppressed” each of them are! living in Palmdale is starting to suck. Lancaster seems to take crime a lot more seriously. Lancaster also didnt back down on Section 8 which was nice for a change. I moved to Palmdale in 2002 because of the mall and because it was safe at the time. Now Im starting to second guess my decision.
Doc Rivers says
You have a very serious case of Lancaster envy and you would do yourself a huge favor and if you would just go ahead and move north. One less self serving whiner.
John Mlynar says
What technology is the Lancaster sheriff’s station using that Palmdale’s isn’t? The only “technology” that I am aware of that the Lancaster station will be using is the “eye in the sky.”
Given the choice of spending 90K a month on some unproven “eye in the sky”, that most people do not want and may end up bringing unintended consquences, or investing it in boots on the ground and public safety personnel, I’ll take the latter, thank you.
As for Palmdale “backing down on Section 8,” get your facts straight. The only difference in Palmdale now and the day before they were no longer in the lawsuit is …ready…they’re no longer in the lawsuit! NOTHING has changed. Palmdale, like Lancaster, does NOT operate Section 8. It is a federal program that is administered through the County of Los Angeles. Neither Palmdale nor Lancaster can pay for additional inspectors because the County put a three year moritorium on them. How is THAT backing down?
Palmdale doesn’t take crime seriously? On what basis do you argue otherwise? Palmdale has hundreds of Neighborhood Watch groups; an internationally recognized sheriff’s department; a PAC program that’s been effective for nearly two decades; a rental inspection program for its rental stock; an engaged public safety staff; and leadership that is focused on public safety.
I commend Lancaster for its remarkable reduction in crime; I, likewise commend Palmdale for the same.
Erica says
THANK YOU John. If I could do so right now, I would shake your hand! And another thing, Palmdale leadership does not generalize and condemn a whole race of people based on a few bad apples. The last time I saw Ledford he was on the Eastside of Palmdale at a shoe store opening having a good time with tons of people who look nothing like him.
Ledford doesn’t just talk about fairness and equality, he lives it. And through his leadership, his staff does the same. When people talk about “that racist Mayor from the Antelope Valley” you can bet your bottom dollar they are NOT speaking about Ledford.
William says
Mayor Ledford has always shown class. Parris has none. None at all. The contrast between these 2 mayors couldn’t be any more stark.
As a result, Palmdale is a pretty nice place to live. I don’t know why anyone would move to Lancaster unless they didn’t know better. I feel for Lancaster residents who are stuck there because of the housing market.
One city is thriving with shopping and dining while the other serves the ‘good ol’ boys. In the future, Palmdale will finally have a viable airport, a major transportation hub and be the premier city in the Antelope Valley. Meanwhile, the other one will have more auto wrecking yards, Walmarts and thrift stores and Rex Parris.
jus4all says
You are so right,that is one reason why Palmdale Regional hospital is not in Lancaster. The company that built the hospital would not go to bed with the good old boys club, so they made it impossible to get any permits to do anything. A while back I saw Mr Ledford on Ch 3 news and he stated that Mr Parrish goes around making all kinds of accusations and no one questions the validity of the things he says but he made it very clear that maybe others are afraid of him but he is not. People in Lancaster needs to wake up. Parrish and his cronies are raping the City of Lancaster for all that it is worth. When it is all said and done the citizens will foot the bill. Does Mr Ledford have personal bodyguards? Has he had any physical altercations? more than likely not! If the people in Lancaster can stand together on the real problems at hand,like the lack of jobs(not Wal-mart),healthcare and education then Lancaster could shine. The BLVD is a joke, the planning for parking had to be an after thought. It keeps people away not draw them in.
Gladdis says
Lancaster just talks the talk. If something seems to good to be true…it’s not true.
If you still want to move to Lancaster, I have a nice 4 bdr hse with a pool, that you can buy cheap.
jus4all says
Palmdale did the right thing. They are looking for solutions to the problem not waste tax payers dollars on lawsuits without merit. HUD says they welcome a review of their program. What proof does Lancaster have that Section 8 is encouraging people to move to the AV and giving more blacks than Hispanics vouchers to do so? People please investigate for your selves do not take everything for truth that is printed in the paper.
Rachelle says
They say call 911 if you see someone climbing into someone’s backyard, well I did call a few months ago when I witnessed someone climbing into my neighbors backyard and they said there was nothing then could do that it wasn’t urgent enough for them to come out! What a bunch of crap!
Alex says
That is why we need some castle laws and stand your ground laws (I do believe a full investigation should be mandatory though), and quicker response time.
People in this valley have been regularly told that it is a 30 min to 1 hour response time, even when they feel their life is in danger. LA county is stingy on CCWs so you can’t even legally protect yourself any more. California has made open carry illegal as well.
All that is happening in California is making it a free for all for thieves and gangs to run the show. The laws are stacked in the criminals favors.
Deputies cannot keep up with the crime sadly, it’s no their fault really. This is just the first indication that crime rates are headed back up.
William says
So, if you have a concealed weapon that people know you carry, well, they can say they are in fear of their lives if you look at them cross-eyed and shoot you. Have you thought this through?
George Zimmerman has a target on his back. People know he is likely to be armed and dangerous as he has already killed someone, so the slightest confrontation Zimmerman has could result in someone killing him before he kills them. Sounds reasonable. What a great law.
Alex says
Nice straw man argument there William. A concealed weapon would not be known to other people, because a properly concealed weapon is, well, concealed.
Open carry allows me to carry a handgun at my side.
Brandishing and carrying are two different things. A properly holstered weapon is not an immediate threat. However if I was brandishing it (waving it around, pointing it at people on the road, etc) than under the laws someone would be in there legal right to shoot me under the stand your ground laws. We also could improve on the wording of the law as well to avoid certain problems.
I am not saying copy and paste another states law, I am saying we need to correct our current ones.
If I had a CCW, and someone was threatening my life with physical violence, I do think I should be within a moral place to shoot them, no matter where I am currently at (unless I am trespassing/committing a crime.)
Say instead of the young Hispanic kid being jumped, it was me, but I had a CCW, I would be within my right to shoot them under the stand your ground laws. However, the way the laws our currently, I would have to try to escape or retreat first, well, when you are surrounded, it is hard to retreat, correct?
William says
The problem is in the Martin case and others where there are no eyewitnesses, the police would only have the shooter’s word that he was ‘standing his ground’. I don’t think that is a wise law and we saw what happened in Sanford.
They let Zimmerman go simply because of the ‘stand your ground’ law which it turns out, he may not claim it if he followed the victim and the state attorney failed to OK the arrest and charge, and let the DA and/or a jury decide.
Can’t anyone in Florida or other states with the same law practically shot Zimmerman on sight claiming they feared that he might be armed and that he’s already been known to shoot to kill? It’s a bad law.
Alex says
2011 Florida Statutes CHAPTER 776 JUSTIFIABLE USE OF FORCE
776.012 Use of force in defense of person.—A person is justified in using force, except deadly force, against another when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or herself or another against the other’s imminent use of unlawful force. However, a person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if:
(1) He or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony; or
(2) Under those circumstances permitted pursuant to s. 776.013.
So no, a reasonable person would not assume that Zimmerman is just going to come out gun blazes as he walks by, thus voiding your straw man argument.
William says
Reply to your comment with the law. Zimmerman lost the right to claim self-defense by following Martin. Actually, Martin had more of a claim to self-defense, knowing that he, Martin, was unarmed and was being pursued by Zimmerman for no apparent reason. Martin wasn’t up to anything other than returning from the store with ice tea and Skittles for his girlfriend’s 13 year old son.
Zimmerman was not, I repeat, NOT being threatened by Martin walking down the sidewalk in the rain wearing a hood over his head. He didn’t say he was in fear of his life or anything like that on the 911 call and was told not to follow Martin.
He needs to be charged and for this to go to trial and let the court decide. Zimmerman’s claims are questionable as there is a dispute about the voice on the 911 tape and his apparent lack of injuries in the police department surveillance tape. The police can’t simple say, ‘Oh, well, if you say so’ and that’s that.
Alex says
Thank you William for showing your ignorance on the matter.
Zimmerman had no possible way of knowing for sure if Martin was unarmed.
The gunshot wound did not occur while Zimmerman was following him, but after T. Martin confronted Zimmerman for following him.
T. Martin’s proper response would have been to call 911, like Zimmerman, and not approach Zimmerman, which it appears Zimmerman did not approach Martin, and if Zimmerman did approach he would have the right to defend himself of course.
You are not basing your argument on facts, but wild speculation.
Like I said earlier if you had any idea about surveillance video, wound treatment, and how contusions work, you would understand how that video does not prove anything.
He was not told to “stop following,” the dispatch stated “We don’t need you to do that.” Big difference.
And… he is 17, and has a girlfriend with a 13 year old son? That’s just sad on both sides.
William says
Boy, Alex, you say I’m speculating then you do it to the max even going so far as to make something out of the age of his girlfriend. So, what?
You just speculate one thing after another, dontcha? Won’t you be embarrassed if the trial shows how wrong you are?
As for the wounds, if they were as serious as the tall tale he told his brother, wouldn’t paramedics have immobilized his neck and transported him by stretcher instead of cuffing his hands behind his back like the police did? There are so many questionable aspects to his story and that’s why it needs to go to trial which is what many people including Martin’s family want – a thorough investigation and a trial. But, you want to believe everything Zimmerman said. Why is that? He has a very good incentive to lie, especially after he didn’t follow the 911 operator’s instructions and instead pursued Martin making his self-defense defense a big problem for him.
Gladdis says
they also tell us to call if there is activity at vacant houses. Parties, broken windows, kids in and out during school hours. How about someone moving in during the middle of the night. The people at the station who answer the calls don’t put them out to be dispatched most of the time or they send the cops to the other side of town.