Sheriff’s Department to conduct survey in Lancaster

LANCASTER – On Saturday, March 16, 2013, personnel from Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Bureau along with numerous teams, volunteers and City of Lancaster staff will conduct a survey in a local Lancaster neighborhood. The purpose of the survey is to identify neighborhood crime and nuisance problems.

Teams will begin the door-to-door survey at about 9 a.m. and continue until they have reached out to the nearly 600 homes in the area.

The area identified for the survey is 10th Street West to Beech Avenue and Avenue I to Avenue H-8. The area was identified after analysis of call and crime volume was conducted.

The survey consists of five questions and involves identifying neighborhood issues, according to Lieutenant Keith Lieberman of COPS Bureau. The neighborhood issues range from crime to nuisances, such as transients, and environmental issues, such as lighting, sidewalks or other problems seen by the residents.

“These surveys are a great way for the city, station and community to partner in order to make a safer neighborhood,” Lieberman said.

Following the survey, specific operations will be developed to target any crime-related issues, and other concerns will be forwarded to applicable City departments for attention.

A community meeting will also take place to allow residents to have one-on-one interactions with authorities so that further plans can be developed.

The community is encouraged to participate in this survey and to answer the questions openly.

A recent survey conducted in Palmdale has already begun to show results, according Lieutenant Larry Gregg, the Antelope Valley Crime Fighting Initiatives coordinator.

“The deputies and neighborhood are engaging each other and sharing information and ideas on how to create a safer community,” said Gregg. “Positive impact has been made in the area since beginning our missions only a little over a month ago.”

Gregg said he expects similar results in the Lancaster survey area.

(Information via press release from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Palmdale Station.)