Email Letter from SPO James O'Leary Dated October 28. 2005


Hey all,

I am Senior Police Officer James O'Leary and I just wanted to introduce myself as I have been assigned to Zone 3 which has your neighborhood in it. It has been brought to my attention that there have been some issues in your neighborhood and it is my intention to assist you in solving these problems. I am assigned to the Day Watch, with work hours between 0600 and 1400 hours and am available to meet with you regarding any problems or concerns during these times. If you want to meet, just post a message on this group or e-mail me at the above address. I am currently off on Mondays and Tuesdays until the middle of November and will switch to Wedensday/Thursday off days until early December.

I have worked all three shifts on the west side and am familiar with the problems you are experiencing, specifically in your neighborhood. During the last week, I have made a special effort to spend as much time in your neighboerhood as call volume will permit and have observed some issues that can be corrected very easily. Also I have reviewed the case files generated by reported incidents and have some concerns.

The crime triangle always has THREE elements:

a. Suspect
b. Opportunity
c. Victim

1. Please harden your assets by closing your garages and locking the doors to your homes and cars. I wish we lived in a world where locks were not necessary, but unfortunatly we must be vigilant in securing our property. There are a large number of contractors in the neighborhood working on home improvements and they often time hire people of questionable character as cheap labor. Fact is, sometimes day labor is casing the neighborhood looking for easy targets.

2. All but one of the cars that were broken into were left unlocked. Please remove all of the valuables and important items from your car and lock it. Criminals always look for the easiest target and unlocked cars with valuables in plain view are their favorite targets because no noise is made when the vehicle is entered. The sound of shattering glass is not what criminals desire.

3. Petition for more street lights and get more motion sensor light for your homes, specifically near your vehicles. As your neighboerhood is a "community" walking area I think you would benifit from more street lights. The benefits to having well lit streets are to numerous to list here, but it is something I can assist you in getting. If your home are well lit, you minimize your potential as a victim. A well lit carport or driveway will deter entering autos and increase your safety when going to and from your house. The only people that like the darkness are criminals.

4. PLEASE call the police over suspicious people or vehicles. You are not bothering us and there are no minor calls - your safety is our job. When you do call please ask to meet with an officer and provide a good physical description and vehicle description (including the tag) so that we can beging generating suspicious activity reports. A suspicious activity/person report allows us to track suspicious activity in your neighborhood. It also can assist us in identifying suspicious people in your neighborhood. If criminal elements know they are being watched, they will generally move to a different area.

4a. Regarding the vacant lot and dirt road, please call 911 and report that there is a suspicious person/vehicle in the area. I am working on identifying the property owner so that I can get a Letter of Authorization to conduct police activity on the property. From my experience, the people who frequent the dirt road are teenagers who are drinking and "making out" and this problem needs to be addressed. It is mostly occurring during hours that I don't work, however if you call 911 an officer will respond and investigate, please meet with them so that I can review the incident and determine if any follow-up is necessary.

5. Secure your lawn and recreational equipment. These are frequently stolen items. An unsecured chainsaw can fetch $60.00 at a pawn shop.

Thats about all I have for now. I know it might seem that I'm asking alot, but if we work together, I feel that we can eliminate some of the problems that are occurring in your neighborhood.

Removing any element of the crime triangle (suspects, opportunities or victims) will greatly reduce criminal activity and make your neighborhood safer.

Senior Police Officer James O'Leary
Email: officeroleary2351@yahoo.com