Police: Crime Down in San Fernando Valley

Los Angeles police who patrol the central San Fernando Valley on Monday reported a drop in overall crime, based largely on fewer vehicle break-ins.

“The big drop in crime comes in auto crime. We really put the word out over the last year to lock-it-hide-it-keep it,” Capt. Todd Chamberlain of the Mission Station said. “We’ve also stepped up our narcotics arrests, which has a direct impact on auto crime,” he said.

Police assigned to the station patrol Arleta, Panorama City, Sylmar, North Hills and Mission Hills.

Chamberlain said addicts break into cars to steal things to get drugs.

“Take that person off the street for a few nights in jail, and a week’s worth of crime is cut in half,” he said.

Over the past four weeks, police handled about 40 fewer car burglaries and 30 fewer car thefts in the patrol area.

Police also credited the drop in crime to letters sent to people who have been arrested more than once. About 120 people have been sent “Repeat Offender Letters,” Chamberlain said.

“It’s hard to prove a negative,” he said, “but we had no repeat offenders from among those 120 persons arrested this year. Some of those persons were good for three and four arrests last year.”

— City News Service