Crime is apparently down in Seal Beach. Warning: this article contains statistics.
A spokesman for the Seal Beach Police Department told the Sun that arrests are currently down from prior years and deal mostly with quality-of-life issues such as public drunkenness.
According to the program for Seal Beach Police Chief Jeff Kirkpatrick’s Thursday, June 16 retirement party, the department reduced Part 1 Crimes by 14 to 28 percent during his six years at the helm of the city’s police agency.
Part 1 crimes include homicide, rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, arson, larceny/theft and car theft.
Kirkpatrick has in the recent past told the City Council that crime is down and arrests are up.
In a report to the City Council, “Jail Operations and Alternatives: A Preliminary Report” by American Homeland Solutions, Seal Beach officers made 357 arrests in 2006.
Yet an April 26, 2011 staff report on the city jail by then Chief Kirkpatrick said Seal Beach officers made 1,041 arrests in 2010 and the first three months of 2011. “In fact our adjusted FBI Part-1 Crime Rate fell almost 14 percent,” Kirkpatrick wrote.
The difference between the 2006 figures given by American Homeland Solutions and the 2010/2011 figures given by Kirkpatrick indicate an increase of 684 arrests in less than five years.
Sgt. Steve Bowles, public information officer fo the SBPD, said he didn’t know where American Homeland Solutions came up with the 357 arrest figure.
According to Sgt. Steve Bowles, public information officer for the SBPD, arrests in this community rose between 2006 and 2008, then dropped over the next two years.
Bowles said that police records show 565 arrests in 2006; 513 arrests in 2007; 835 arrests in 2008; 971 arrests in 2009 and 901 arrests in 2010.
So far in 2011, Seal Beach officers have made 350 arrests.
Bowles said those arrests don’t necessarily represent individual criminals.
He said some individuals might be arrested mutliple times.
Bowles said there are a few public intoxication arrestees who are arrested as often as 20 times a year.
Bowles compared those individuals to Otis Campbell, the town drunk on “The Andy Griffith Show”—alcoholic repeat offenders.
Bowles said most arrests involve transients and quality of life issues.
Kirkpatrick’s April 2011 staff report said that crime was down and arrests were up.
To make a comment on this story at the Sun Newspapers’ Web site, go to www.sunnews.org.
Seal Beach Marine Safety report
During the week of Friday, June 10 to Thursday, June 16, Seal Beach Lifeguards performed 27 rescues, answered five medical aid calls and treated six stingray injuries. Seal Beach Marine Safety (Lifeguard) Department switched to full deployment last week, starting Friday, June 17. Lifeguard hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to the report by Marine Safety Officer Nick Bolin to the city manager.
Crime Log Assembled by Charles M. Kelly
The crimes listed in the Sun Newspapers were reported to Seal Beach Police Department, Los Alamitos Police Department and Orange County Sheriff Department between June 6 and June 17, 2011. Only street names are used; times given are reported times, not incident times. Crime Log entries are based on preliminary information. Space limitations make it impossible to publish every incident. Until proven guilty in a court of law, all suspects are considered innocent.
IN SEAL BEACH
Monday, June 6
Bike Stop—10:46 a.m.—Westminster Avenue—Police unit 141 stopped a bicycle rider outside a Seal Beach business. The bicyclist was arrested for violating his parole.
Petty Theft—3:39 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—A citizen left a bike out front and someone took it. The bike was described as a black, six-gear bike. Report taken.
Tuesday, June 7
Bike—3:36 p.m.—Ocean Avenue—Someone took a 15-speed, purple Univega mens bike valued at $100 from the porch during the night. Report taken.
Wednesday, June 8
Petty Theft—8:37 a.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—A citizen reported the loss of a purse from her shopping cart. She needed a report to replace her medication. She was counseled and given a log number.
Forgery—11:09 a.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—A citizen left his ATM card in an ATM machine. Now someone was making charges against the card. Report taken.
Police Information—2:37 p.m.—College Park Drive—A citizen reported being on the receiving end of a “grandson scam” phone call. In the “grandson” scam, the victim (usually a senior) receives a call or e-mail from someone claiming to be the grandson or son of the victim. The “grandson” reports an emergency of some sort (“I’m in jail”), sometimes in another country and asks the victim to send money. The caller is always an imposter.
Transients—7:01 p.m.—Westminster Avenue—The caller said two individuals described as transients were in the parking lot, begging for money.
Thursday, June 9
Animal Information—8:53 p.m.—4th Street—The caller said a German shepherd and two small dogs chased her into her residence. The dogs were located and returned to their owner.
Friday, June 10
Extra Patrol Checks Requested—12:56 p.m.—Avalon Drive—The caller requested extra patrol checks because park patrons had their dogs off leash. The caller had an argument with a woman that morning because she had her dog off the leash. Log entry.
Welfare Check—3:57 p.m.—Ocean Avenue—The caller said a dog was chained to a Nissan truck and had been in the sun for the past two hours. The caller phoned the police again at 4:09 p.m. to report that the owner had arrived. The owner did bring the dog water. The caller still wanted police to speak with the dog owner. Police unit 107 contacted the owner. Matter solved.
Saturday, June 11
Suspicious Circumstances—9:47 p.m.—8th Street—The caller said someone was at his door, claiming to be a policeman. The caller didn’t believe them. The call was cancelled before a police unit was dispatched. The “policeman” turned out to be a prank arranged by a friend.
Sunday, June 12
Petty Theft Report—10:51 a.m.—Ocean Avenue—Sometime between 9 and 10 a.m., someone took the caller’s gray mountain bike with teal water bottle holder from in front of the caller’s front door. The bike was valued at $400. Report taken.
IN LEISURE WORLD
Monday, June 6
Petty Theft Report—8:52 p.m.—McKinney Way, Mutual 15—Someone took the caller’s black mens mountain bike valued at $100 from the carport.
Tuesday, June 7
Transient—9 a.m.—St. Andrews Drive, Mutual Unknown—A white man in his 40s, described as a transient, was in the parking lot, throwing his coffee on parked vehicles. He was last seen on foot, headed toward the St. Andrews Leisure World gate.
Fraud Report—4:36 p.m.—17th Street—The caller received a notice that she won a sweepstakes. The notice included a “check” to cover taxes and fees. She wired the “sweepstakes” $2,755. The “check” bounced. She was counseled.
Wednesday, June 8
Animal Information—7:32 p.m.—Annandale Drive, Mutual 1—The caller’s neighbor let a rabbit go wild. The caller trapped the rabbit in her shower and asked that it be picked up. Referred to Long Beach Animal Care Services.
Thursday, June 9
Suspicious Person—11:55 a.m.—Golden Rain Road, Mutual Unknown—The caller saw two individuals on bikes, both in their 20s, in Leisure World. Leisure World Security and police unit 106 contacted the two individuals on the far side of the property near the contractor’s alley. They were interviewed in the field.
IN LOS ALAMITOS
Thursday, June 9
Counseling—1:05 p.m.—Chestnut Street—The caller said a woman kept coming to the caller’s home to ask if the residence is for rent. The family keeps telling her it isn’t. They think the woman might be a mental case. The responding officer contacted the suspicious woman and counseled her.
Stray Animal—2:25 p.m.—Bloomfield Street and Farquhar Avenue—The caller reported a black Chihuahua running on Bloomfield. The caller had been trying to catch the dog since Katella, but failed. The dog was last seen traveling northbound on Bloomfield. Referred to Long Beach Animal Care Services.
Friday, June 10
Suspicious Person—11:05 a.m.—Farquhar Avenue—A 35-year-old white man riding a bike threw a can at the caller’s vehicle, possibly a paint can. The caller believed the suspect was trying to breathe in the spray paint. The suspect yelled profanities and did not make sense. The suspect was pulling up his shirt and asking passersby to look at him. The caller believed the suspect went down the alley.
Disturbance, Juvenile—7 p.m.—Green Avenue—The caller said kids had been yelling in the back yard and bouncing on a trampoline since 5 p.m. The caller wanted them to quiet down. The responding officer advised the young people to behave.
Saturday, June 11
Found Person—8:39 p.m.—Cherry Street—A woman was lost and said she didn’t know where she lived. The responding officer assisted in reuniting the lost woman with her son.
Sunday, June 12
Drunk—12:47 a.m.—Chestnut Street—A man was seen stumbling down the street, according to second-hand information from the caller’s kids. The man was last seen traveling eastbound on Howard.
Hit and Run—8:43 p.m.—Katella Avenue—A Camry parked in a back lot was struck by another vehicle. The caller came to work at about 10:45 a.m. When he returned to his vehicle, he noticed that someone had collided with it. Minor damage to left rear bumper.
Monday, June 13
Transient—1:26 p.m.—Farquhar Avenue and Maple Street—A 40-year-old man, possibly a transient, was at the small park on the corner. He had been at the park for the past few days. He stared at the caller and at her apartment complex. The caller was also concerned for the kids that go to the park. The man was last seen sitting on a bench. The responding officer found the man drinking in public. He was cited, released and sent on his way.
Health and Safety Violation—4:50 p.m.—Walnut Street—An unspecified number of individuals were reportedly smoking marijuana inside. The responding officer found a smell of a barbecue or incense.
Tuesday, June 14
Disturbance, Juveniles—3:04 p.m.—Farquhar Avenue—A group of juveniles threatened parents and kids that are in park. The juveniles were swinging bats at the parents and kids and using profanity. The responding officer counseled the juveniles.
Power Outage—11:49 p.m.—Katella Avenue and Lexington Drive—The caller reported a power outage between Noel and Lexington on the south side. The Joint Forces Training Base was also out of power. Southern Edison reported that a crew was en route. All of Katella was blacked out, including street lights, eastbound to Winners Circle. Units patrolled the area until power was restored.
IN ROSSMOOR
Monday, June 13
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—5:42 p.m.—Rowena Drive.
Disturbance, Music or Party—11:16 p.m.—Kensington Road.
Tuesday, June 14
Suspicious Vehicle—8:06 a.m.—Rowena Drive.
Disturbance, Music or Party—5:46 p.m.—Newbury Road.
Disturbance, Music or Party—11:31 p.m.—Newbury Road.
Wednesday, June 15
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—6:03 p.m.—Davenport Road.
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—11:16 p.m.—Kensington Road.
Thursday, June 16
Disturbance—4:25 a.m.—Mainway Drive.
Vandalism Report—1:34 p.m.—Hillrose Drive.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—2:06 a.m.—Martha Ann Drive.
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—8:27 a.m.—Silver Fox Road and Oak Knoll Drive.
Grand Theft Report—10:12 a.m.—Huntley Drive.
IN SUNSET BEACH
Monday, June 13
Bike Stop—10:19 p.m.—Pacific Coast Highway and 10th Street.
Citizen Assist—11:10 p.m.—S. Pacific Avenue and 5th Street.
Wednesday, June 15
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—9:18 p.m.—26th Street.
Shelley Henderson of the News-Enterprise contributed to this article.
