On Thursday, Sept. 24 at 8:30 a.m., as part of National Preparedness Month, the City of Seal Beach, Seal Beach Police Department and West–Cites Communications, in partnership with the County of Orange, will conduct a test of Orange County’s Regional Notification System – AlertOC. The objective is to test AlertOC’s capability, capacity, and effectiveness to deliver emergency notifications to the public during times of major disaster. The AlertOC system replaced the older “reverse 911” system.
AlertOC is a mass notification system used by the city to issue government-related messages to residents and businesses. All residential and commercial landline phone numbers are a part of the AlertOC system. During the test all residents of the City of Seal Beach should expect a phone call on their home phone line; businesses will not be receiving a test call.
The AlertOC drill on Sept. 24 will replicate a large scale, multi-jurisdictional emergency requiring thousands of numbers to be called simultaneously across Orange County’s entire region. Emergencies can happen at any time. A wildfire could spread or a flood could close the roads to a neighborhood while residents are away from home. In these instances, AlertOC is a critical link for residents to immediately learn of any required actions.
The key feature of AlertOC is the ability for residents to register more than one contact method at a specific address. Registrations of cell phone and alternate numbers increase the potential of reaching the greatest number of community members as rapidly as possible. This enables landlines, cell phones and e-mail addresses to be incorporated into a single notification system. Residents are encouraged to self-register their email addresses, cell phone numbers and other alternate numbers to be a part of the regional test.
For more information or to register alternate phone numbers and email addresses, visit AlertOC.com. For more information about National Preparedness Month and how to prepare for a disaster go to www.ready.gov.
Police volunteers selling disaster prep kits
Staff report
As part of National Preparedness Month, the Seal Beach Police Department Volunteers in Police Services program is selling “grab and go” emergency kits and disaster preparedness backpacks. In the event of an emergency or disaster, help may not be available to respond immediately. All households should have basic items such as food, water and supplies available, emergency kits and disaster backpacks provide these essential items.
The “grab and go” emergency kits and disaster backpacks range in cost from $25 to $90. There are also single-use items available and a pet emergency kit. All proceeds from the sales of the disaster packs go towards supporting the VIPS program. The Seal Beach Police Volunteers Association, Inc. is a not for profit organization that has been approved as a 501(c)(3).
If you would like to purchase an emergency kit or disaster backpack contact VIP Sylvia Klebe at (562) 260-8919 or e-mail her at klebester@gmail.com.
The Seal Beach Police Department VIPS program provides thousands of volunteer hours to the City of Seal Beach and the Seal Beach Police Department. VIPS perform a variety of duties including staffing the Seal Beach Pier substation and providing uniformed patrols. For more information about the VIPS program, contact Sgt. Michael Henderson at mhenderson@sealbeachca.gov.
For more information about National Preparedness Month and how to prepare for a disaster go to www.ready.gov.
Crime Log Compiled by Charles M. Kelly
IN SEAL?BEACH
Friday, September 4
Vandalism—8:08 a.m.—11th Street—Someone keyed the caller’s car. Log entry.
911 Hang-up—8:09 a.m.—16th Street—It turned out the caller accidentally dialed 911 while trying to call out of the country. The call was cancelled prior to the dispatch of a police unit.
Fraud—9:04 a.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—Someone used the caller’s account information to make fraudulent charges. Report taken.
Petty Theft Report—11:18 a.m.—Sixth Street—Someone broke into the storage area in the caller’s carport. Loss: miscellaneous items. Report taken.
Burglary Report—2:16 p.m.—Sixth Street—The caller reported that someone broke into a carport at an unknown date and time. Report taken.
Disturbance—5:28 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller said a woman in her late 60s was in the lobby, yelling on her phone. She had been there for about an hour. She had arrived with two elderly men who were still in a car in the parking lot. She was gone by the time police arrived.
Found Property—6:45 p.m.—Main Street—the caller fond an American Express credit card in front of the location. Report taken.
Possible Theft—7:32 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller thought a man in the store might possibly have a pair of Levis on under the plaid pajamas he came in wearing. Police arrested Nathan Lloyd on suspicion of shoplifting.
Grand Theft—8:10 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller reported an unspecified number of cell phones had been taken from the front. The caller said the suspects were loitering at the front prior to the incident. The suspects were last seen headed eastbound on Lampson Avenue. Police unit 207 checked the Bolsa Chica/Valley View area. Police unit 241 was unable to locate them on Lampson Avenue and the Old Ranch area. Units were diverted to another incident for possibly related suspects. Report taken.
Suspicious Circumstances—8:19 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller said two men had been going in and out of the store, acting suspiciously. One man stayed on the phone, as if acting as a look out, while the other man asked the same questions over and over. According to the caller, the man usually came to the store at closing time. Police unit contacted the caller. The suspects had gone somewhere else. The officer assigned to unit 241 apparently believed these might be the same suspects from the earlier incident.
Dead Animal—11 p.m.—Marlin and Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller reported a dead skunk in the No. 1 southbound lane of Seal Beach Boulevard. Referred to Long Beach Animal Care Services.
Saturday, September 5
Disturbance—1:36 a.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—The caller said a woman was kicking and punching a man in the back seat of the car. The caller was the driver. At 1:37 a.m., she was reportedly walking toward the beach. Police unit 207 arrested Heather Wucik on suspicion of public drunkenness.
Dead Animal—7:35 a.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard and Anchor Way—The caller reported a dead skunk in the No. 2 lane of Seal Beach Bouelvard, south of Anchor Way. Referred to Long Beach Animal Care Services.
Vehicle Burglary—8:55 a.m.—Ocean Avenue—The log provided no further details of this incident. Report taken.
Vandalism—10:52 a.m.—Candleberry Avenue—The caller reported damage to the exhaust pipes of the caller’s car. Police unit 106 took a grand theft report for the theft of a catalytic converter.
Assault With a Deadly Weapon—11:29 a.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—Police unit 107 contacted the caller at the caller’s home. The crime apparently occurred at 3 a.m. that day. Report taken.
Public Drinking—1:20 p.m.—B Row, Surfside Colony—The caller said four men and two women were drinking on the beach. The caller said they had been advised against drinking on the beach multiple times and were not complying. Police contacted them but did not observe a violation of the law. The police apparently advised the people on the beach against drinking and they apparently agreed to comply.
Suspicious Person—4:59 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard and Golden Rain Road—Police unit 106 while on duty observed an individual jumping the fence into Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach and a woman running in the area. Police delivered a message to the Navy base dispatch. As of 5 p.m., Navy personnel were en route. At 5:01 p.m., police unit 106 contacted the man. It turned out the woman was trying to catch a cat. They were interviewed in the field.
Disturbance—5:11 p.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—A man was verbally abusive with customers and employees of the business. He told one employee that he was going to kick her teeth in for looking at him. Police contacted him. He left the area. No further police services were necessary.
Disturbance, Music—5:36 p.m.—Ocean Avenue—The caller complained about loud music coming from a large party in the park. Police unit 941 advised the revelers about the complaint and they reportedly agreed to quiet down.
Suspicious Person—6:49 p.m.—Seventh Street and Ocean Avenue—The caller said a 30-year-old man was going up and down the alley on his skateboard. He told the caller he was looking for medical records that were stolen. Police contacted him and determined he was OK.
Shots heard—8:23 p.m.—Fifth Street—The caller thought she heard a gunshot and observed a flash right outside her house, to the front of the residence. Police unit 207 determined that a transformer blew out. Southern California Edison was aware of the matter. No further police services were necessary.
Possible DUI—9:51 p.m.—Westminster and Bolsa Chica—The caller reported a car swerving in the lanes. Police unit 940 pulled the car over. The driver was elderly and had problems with the car. No further police services were necessary.
Suspicious Person—11:01 p.m.—Seventh Street and Marina Drive—The caller said a man was walking along the sidewalk. The caller believed the man was holding a gun in his left hand. He wasn’t waving the gun, just holding it. Police were unable to locate the suspect.
Municipal Code Complaint—11:52 p.m.—First Street and Marina Drive—The caller said construction workers were still working in the vacant lot. At 11:56 the construction workers told police they were going to make the situation safe and then shut down for the night. Counseled.
Sunday, September 6
Disturbance—2:01 a.m.—Marina Drive—The caller said approximately 15 individuals were being loud near a car. Some of them were smoking and drinking. They were gone by the time police arrived.
Transient—8:16 a.m.—10th Street—The caller said a woman was inside the church, disturbing mass. She was talking out loud and screaming. She had been escorted outside. Police unit 107 interviewed the woman in the field and gave her resource information.
Petty Theft Report—7:17 p.m.—Sixth Street—Someone broke into the caller’s storage facility sometime after 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 5. Loss: three tool boxes and sporting equipment. No report desired.
Welfare Check—8:20 p.m.—First Street—The caller said a dog had been barking for several hours. The caller went to check on the dog and the door to the apartment was unlocked.
The caller did not look inside. The caller had been knocking on the door on and off since the previous day with no answer. Police determined the dog was OK. No one was inside the apartment. Long Beach Animal Control would not respond after hours to a barking dog report.
Monday, September 7
Vandalism—12:04 a.m.—Ocean Avenue—Police unit 207 discovered vandalism to Lifeguard Tower 8. The log did not describe the vandalism. Report taken.
IN LOS?ALAMITOS
Wednesday, August 26
Suspicious Person—12:39 a.m.—Katella Avenue—The caller reported that a man had followed a female employee to her car in the parking structure. The man was last seen on the fifth going up to the sixth floor. The employee made it safely to her car and left. Patrol contacted the man in front of the Los Alamitos Medical Center and advised him against following women.
Drunk—12:54 p.m.—Forista Street—The caller said a woman was trying to leave in her car. She refused to give the caller her keys and was argumentative. The woman was arrested.
Thursday, August 27
Disturbance, Juvenile—3:33 p.m.—Katella Avenue—The caller reported a boy was climbing up on the roof at the location. The caller believed he is skateboarding, and on Wednesday, Aug. 26, the boy was doing the same. Patrol spoke with workers there and they stated the boy was on the roof skateboarding, saying there were two juveniles on the previous day but only one on that day. The juveniles apparently got on the roof by the parking garage ramp access. Patrol was unable to locate the juvenile.
Saturday, August 29
Suspicious Person—12:09 a.m.—Howard Avenue—The caller reportedly watched a man break into a vehicle 10 minutes earlier. The man was last seen in the parking lot of the complex heading towards the east side.
The caller saw the suspect inside the car with the door open going through it but did not see the vehicle broken into. The suspect jumped a fence at Howard Avenue. Patrol detained one individual and arrested him.
Welfare Check—7:40 p.m.—Howard Avenue—The caller was a woman reporting that a man was assaulting her. The caller said she was the mother of the victim. The mother states the man was trying to assault others in the household but she was now sitting at the kitchen table.
The caller requested that the man be removed from the home. Report taken.
IN ROSSMOOR
Monday, August 24
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—1:16 p.m.—Kensington Road—The caller reported that a van had left the area 30 minutes ago but had been seen parked in front of the caller’s location two times in the past 10 days.
The van was a white Chevy box style van with no side windows. The caller requested information on a patrol check and was going to contact a deputy later to show a picture he had taken on his phone.
Sunday, August 30
Citizen Assist—11:09 a.m.—Silver Fox Road—The caller reported that a man climbed over a locked gate at the location and went into the backyard of a neighbor’s house. The man told the caller that he was there to do some type of construction work, but the man has since left. The caller wanted to show a deputy a photograph she took of the truck.
Laurie Hanson of the News-Enterprise contributed to this article.
