Police Department - City of Downey

2004 – The Year in Review - continuedOther continuous instruction included MP-5 and AR-15 range training conducted at anearby outdoor range to afford realistic environmental challenges, including inclementweather and different times of day. The Department Range Staff is to be commendedfor attributing to our officers’ firearms proficiency and professionalism.~~ ~ ~Neighborhood Preservation strives to address the needs of identified neighborhoodsthrough bridge-building between various City departments and residents. Communitymeetings serve as a means of introduction and are used to share information, which isused to improve the quality of life in the designated “preservation areas.” NeighborhoodPreservation also helps coordinate inspection sweeps to address property maintenanceand building code violations. In conjunction with these efforts, we perform outreach toproperty owners and managers providing education and assistance as appropriate.“Community Clean-Up Days” are conducted with volunteers to remove blightinginfluences. In addition to providing a vital link to the community, a team of policeofficers is assigned to the preservation areas. These officers work closely withresidents to help eliminate criminal activity from these areas.~~ ~ ~Early in 2004 committees were formed to address crime trends in Auto Theft, Burglaryand Robbery. The committees were chaired by Detective sergeants and consisted ofpatrol officers and detectives. The committees researched recent trends and maderecommendations for combating each crime type. The recommendations encompasseda wide range of options including education of personnel and the public, enforcementand staffing.~~ ~ ~Residential burglaries occurring between October 1 st and December 31 st of 2003 wereanalyzed to determine when the majority were perpetrated. Information gathered fromthis analysis was shared with patrol personnel to increase awareness of this “Grinch”type criminal behavior. A 17% decrease in residential burglaries was achieved whencompared to the same period last year.~~ ~ ~Detective Division personnel prepared two fliers concerning crime preventionmeasures. The first was for auto theft and the second concerned fraud schemesagainst the elderly. Both fliers were mailed to all Downey residents through their waterbills. The fliers alerted residents to crime trends in the City and provided informationmeant to reduce the risk of becoming a crime victim.~~ ~ ~