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FEBRUARY 2, 2024 | VOLUME XVI, ISSUE 03
NEWPORTBEACHINDY.COM
Newport Beach Police Volunteers Build Important Bridge to the Community
Newport Beach Police Volunteers Joel Gerson and Sandy Meadows / Photo by Richard Simon
By Richard Simon | NB Indy As a group, they visit and inspect more homes in more neighborhoods on a typical day than Newport’s busiest realtors. Although there are sparse supporting statistics, these teams of two might very well be responsible for stopping more home burglaries than a stay-at-home Chihuahua with a megaphone bark and a Police Dog complex. They’re the uniformed Volunteers of the Newport Beach Police Department: 12 women
and 10 men, with four potential members currently undergoing background checks. They each pledge at least 16 hours a month to patrolling the breadth of the city “so that the NBPD can allocate resources more efficiently,” shared Heather Rangel, the PD’s Crime Prevention Specialist who oversees the volunteer program. The purpose of the program is multifaceted, explained Rangel: “To enhance community engagement, support law enforcement efforts,
Newport Beach City Manager Update
Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager It is my honor to congratulate the Newport Beach Fire Department for earning a prestigious recognition from the Insurance Services Office, a classification shared by only about one percent of the top fire departments nationwide. This is an extraordinary accomplishment that reflects the NBFD’s dedication to the highest level of fire protection and commitment to the safety and well-being of Newport Beach residents. The ISO informed the City this week that
Residential Burglary in Los Trancos Community
and foster positive relationships between the Department and the community.” Their responsibilities and assignments include conducting home vacation checks, distributing crime alerts, various in-house administrative functions, assisting in the property division (a basement room where a broad range of evidence and seizures are stored until deemed disposable), as well as helping at special events. One of the PD’s greatest crime prevention tools is communications, and the volunteers excel in that effort, not only by patrolling in their specially assigned and marked SUVs, but by conspicuously assisting at the department’s year-‘round community events, such as National Night Out (a country-wide police appreciation event that highlights the full capabilities and services of the department), Open House tours, and the well-received Mobile Café, where the community gathers at various venues throughout the city to meet one-on-one the officers who serve — and where attendees can be served that historically cliched law enforcement “fuel,” coffee and donuts. This coming August, NBPD Volunteer Sandy Meadows will have donated 25 years and nearly 12,000 hours to the program — a virtual “career” of volunteerism, having graduated from the first NBPD Citizens’ Police Academy (CPA) in 1999.
By NB Indy Staff A residential burglary recently occurred in the Los Trancos Community between approximately 12:45 p.m. on January 20 and 2 p.m. on January 21, 2024 While the victim was away, an unknown suspect accessed the backyard of the property from the hillside behind the home and climbed to the second story terrace. The suspect shattered a window to get inside the master closet. The suspect rummaged through the master bedroom, master bathroom, master closet and gym. In a closet, the suspect located a safe. Using various tools, the suspect forcibly removed the safe from the wall and broke into the safe before fleeing the scene in an unknown direction. The Newport Beach Police Department advises residents that if they see suspicious activity within your neighborhood (especially at a home where you know your neighbors are on vacation, have gone out for the evening, or their home is for sale), please call the Newport Beach Police Department immediately at (949) 644-3717. The Newport Beach Police Department has security tips for residents: • Always lock your windows and doors when you go out, even if for only a few minutes. Second story windows and doors should be secured as if they were on the first story. • Use timers on indoor lamps to give the ap-
VOLUNTEERS Page 8
BURGLARY Page 7
the NBFD has earned a Class 1 rating under its national Public Protection Classification program, which recognizes excellence among fire service agencies. The ISO is a rating and analytics organization for the property insurance industry, which uses the PPC to help set insurance rates. The comprehensive assessment evaluates fire departments in such areas as water systems, communications, staffing, deployment, equipment, response times, training, public education, prevention, fire investigations and more. As an advisor to the insurance industry,
the
INDYPOLL THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, what are your plans? Do you prefer to stay in with your significant other or go out?
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CITY MANAGER Page 6
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Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01991628. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate. If your property is currently listed for sale this is not a solicitation.