Crime Statistics July 21, 2024
VIOLENT CRIMES 2007* 2006* % Chg
Homicide 209 266 -21%
Rape 427 541 -21%
Robbery 7441 7905 -6%
Agg Assaults ** 7186 7902 -9%
Total Violent Crimes 15,263 16,614 -8%
PROPERTY CRIMES
Burglary 10,716 10,995 -3%
Auto Theft 13,073 13,492 -3%
BTFV 16,988 16,532 3%
Personal/Other Theft 14,630 15,622 -6%
Total Property Crimes 55,407 56,641 -2%
Total Part I Crimes 70,670 73,255 -4%
* Both 2007 and 2006 crime categories represent Year-To-Date figures. The 2006 figures are not annual totals.
** Prior to 2005, Aggravated Assaults included Child/Spousal Simple Assaults
The Men and Woman of Hollenbeck Division Earn High Praise
This is a story of a selfless group of two dozen Hollenbeck Division police officers, each assigned to different details, who temporarily came together for a single day to form a unit devoted to a sole task: to arrest a serial child molester and obtain immediate felony filings. This is also a story about old-school leadership from the ranks: the legendary proactive LAPD, sans COMPSTAT.
On March 14, 2007, at 10:35 a.m., Hollenbeck Patrol officers responded to a radio call at a local elementary school regarding the investigation of the sexual molestation of a 10-year-old female student in Hollenbeck Area. Their inquiry revealed that the suspect, a 60-year-old male “friend of the family,” was continuously molesting the girl since she was five years old. The officers learned that suspect forced the girl to have anal, vaginal and oral sex with him and made her watch adult pornographic videos. The suspect lived four doors away from the victim’s family and had easy access to the girl. Also, he was known to frequent the Mexican border and was considered to be a flight risk. Additionally, the mother of the victim told the officers that if and when her husband found out what the family friend was doing to their daughter, he would kill the man. (This was understood by all concerned as a viable, serious contingency should the suspect not be immediately taken into custody.)
The officers completed their preliminary investigation and briefed a Sex Detail detective about the facts of the case. That detective then alerted the other members of his detail about the matter. Because of the exigent circumstances involved, it was decided that immediate action was necessary to take the suspect into custody.
The commanding officer of Hollenbeck Patrol facilitated an ad hoc committee meeting to formulate a plan. All officers and supervisors, upon hearing the particulars of the case, were immediately concerned about the welfare and safety of the victim and wanted to quickly apprehend the suspect. Egos set aside, supervisors and officers alike brainstormed on a plan of operation.
Vice Detail officers were given a working description of the suspect and, acting in their role as experienced undercover officers, staked out the suspect’s residence. This tactic allowed others on the all-Hollenbeck team to apply for, and obtain, a search warrant while conducting further investigations into the suspect and his crimes. An arrest warrant was also in the works.
While on stakeout near the suspect’s residence, a Vice Detail officer and a Gang Detail officer saw the described suspect enter his truck. They then alerted Hollenbeck Patrol chase car officers. A team of patrol officers followed the suspect’s truck, affected a vehicle stop, detained the suspect and determined that he was the person wanted for crimes against a child. Positive identifying information had been obtained by sex detectives from a witness and forwarded by vice officers to the concerned patrol officers in the field so that the suspect’s identification could be verified.
At the same time, three School Car officers were performing a complex field investigation, which involved the possible molestation of the victim’s three younger siblings. Meanwhile a Gang Detail detective joined the Sex Detail detectives in interviewing witnesses and other potential victims as a Crimes Against Persons Detail detective used his expertise in obtaining computerized information to assist in the investigation.
A Sex Detail detective wrote and obtained the search warrant for the suspect’s residence and a Career Criminal Detail officer formulated and presented the warrant service tactical plan to CCD, Vice and Sex personnel. The designated staff then served the warrant at the residence, with the suspect’s extended family present, without incident. Videos depicting adult pornography were found at the location and taken as evidence.
Each involved officer, regardless of his or her primary assignment, came together to function as a hard working unified task force. Each officer performed in his or her role until the job was completed. (One detective, for instance, worked non-stop until 9:30 a.m. the following day.) With regard to the distasteful, extremely repulsive nature of the crimes committed by the suspect, every Hollenbeck officer involved with this case, without exception, acted with the utmost in professional behavior.
Because of the heartbreaking nature of the investigation, many eager patrol officers volunteered to be involved with the task force. But somehow, even with acute shortages in personnel, enough people had come together to perform the necessary tasks needed to take the suspect into custody and develop sufficient evidence for the case to be successfully filed with the District Attorney’s Office.
Due to the involved personnel’s spirit, dedication, drive and teamwork, this outstanding feat miraculously succeeded.
What normally would take three to four weeks to develop was accomplished in a day! The suspect’s bail was set at $1,250,000.
The members of this ad-hoc task force demonstrated their professionalism, energy, tenacity, enthusiasm, work ethic and attention to duty. I am proud and honored to be associated with such superlative individuals and salute all of the Hollenbeck Area personnel.
With profound gratitude to the men and women of Hollenbeck,
Det. Lew Parker
Hollenbeck Detectives
Posted by: Lew Parker | July 28, 2024 at 04:11 AM
Outstanding Job!!
Posted by: ron | August 01, 2024 at 08:26 AM