Home Fire Safety

The most effective way to protect yourself and your home from fire is to identify and remove fire hazards. 65 percent of house fire deaths occur in homes with no working smoke alarms. During a home fire, working smoke alarms and a fire escape plan that has been practiced regularly can save lives.

Prepare

•Keep items that can catch on fire at least three feet away from anything that gets hot, such as space heaters.
•Never smoke in bed.
•Talk to your children regularly about the dangers of fire, matches and lighters and keep them out of reach.
•Turn portable heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep.

Fire Escape Planning
•Ensure that all household members know two ways to escape from every room of your home.
•Make sure everyone knows where to meet outside in case of fire.
•Practice escaping from your home at least twice a year and at different times of the day. Practice waking up to smoke alarms, low crawling and meeting outside. Make sure everyone knows how to call 9-1-1.
•Teach household members to STOP, DROP and ROLL if their clothes should catch on fire.

Guns & Weapons Melted Into Rebar

5,495 Guns & Weapons Melted Into Rebar Today 

Will be Used to Build Highway Bridges

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca Oversees the 20th Annual Gun Melt Destruction of Weapons

On Tuesday, July 30, 2013, Sheriff Baca announced the destruction of 5,495 weapons confiscated from criminals in Los Angeles County and collected through the “Gifts for Guns” exchange program. Annually, Gerdau Steel Mill, located in Rancho Cucamonga, generously donates its furnace, equipment and personnel to convert these weapons into steel rebar. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works also donates the trucks every year that transport the weapons to the Mill.

These weapons will be melted into steel reinforcing bar (rebar) and ultimately transformed into elements of construction for upgrades in freeways and bridges in Arizona, California and Nevada. “Our partnership with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department allows us the opportunity to make an impact in our community,” said Jim Crompton, Vice President and General Manager of Gerdau Steel Mill. http://www.gerdau.com/longsteel/ “We are taking weapons that could destroy our community and repurposing them into steel that will literally help build our community.”

Twelve law enforcement agencies have contributed confiscated weapons to this program. These agencies include Downey Police Department, Long Beach Police Department, Signal Hill Police Department, Claremont Police Department, El Montel Police Department, West Covina Police Department, Whittier Police Department, Santa Monica Police Department, Bell Gardens Police Department, Culver City Police Department, El Camino College Police Department and Inglewood Police Department.

The collection of weapons can be attributed to the hard work of the law enforcement officers throughout Los Angeles County. Sheriff Baca stated, “These weapons that you see here will never again be used to commit a crime or used to threaten or intimidate an innocent victim.”

California Penal Code 12028 (b)(1)…a firearm of any nature owned or possessed in violation…or used in the commission of any misdemeanor…any felony…with the use of a firearm, [is] A NUISANCE…(c)Any weapon described in subdivision (a), or, upon conviction of the defendant…described in subdivision (b) shall be surrendered to the sheriff of a county or the chief of police...(d)If, under this section, a weapon is not of the type that can be sold to the public…in the month of July…shall be destroyed so that it can no longer be used as such a weapon…

Personal Safety

Want to make life harder for Criminals.

Here are some tips that can help you avoid becoming a victim of crime when you are out and about. By taking a few simple precautions, you can reduce the risk to yourself, and also discourage those who commit crimes.

Be Prepared

- Always be alert and aware of the people around you.
- Educate yourself concerning prevention tactics.
- Be aware of locations and situations which would make you vulnerable to crime, such as alleys and dark parking lots.

Street Precautions

- Be alert of your surroundings and the people around you – especially if you are alone or it is dark.
- Whenever possible, travel with a friend.
- Stay in well-lit areas as much as possible.
- Walk close to the curb. Avoid doorways, bushes, and alleys where someone could hide.
- Walk confidently, at a steady pace.
- Make eye contact with people when walking
- Do not respond to conversation from strangers on the street - continue walking.

Purse Snatch

There was a purse snatch on Lanark and Noble last week.  It occurred at 10am. Suspect-2 dropped off suspect-1 at corner.  Suspect-1 waited for the victim to walk by, suspect-1 then grabbed victims purse from her shoulder.  The only description is that suspect is a male hispanic, brown hair, brown eyes, 6ft tall, 180lbs, 25 to 30yrs of age.  No description on suspect-2, vehicle is described as a black sedan, no further information is known.  

Please be aware of your surroundings and pay attention to everything going on.

Also, when leaving on vacation, let your neighbors know and ask them to keep an eye out on your house. Your neighbors are the first line of defense.