First Precinct – Sector 111
Community Report
March 2010
Lieutenant James J. Laino

During March, the Sector experienced a 7% decrease in Major Crime; a 38% increase in violent crime (8 incidents reported in 2009 compared to 11 in 2010) and a 14% decrease in property crime (59 incidents reported in 2009 compared to 51 in 2010). The 11 violent crimes reported included: 8 Aggravated Assaults and 3 robberies. Of the 11 violent incidents reported 6 have been cleared by arrest and the remaining 5 are still being investigated by detectives. The current trend in Property Crime is thefts related to motor vehicles, to include motor vehicle theft and the theft of mopeds. During this month there were 20 vehicles broken into, 6 vehicles and 5 mopeds stolen.

Throughout the month of March we focused on residential burglaries, thefts from vacant properties and thefts related to vehicles in the Fulton, Church Hill North and Union Hill neighborhoods. During this time officers conducted high visibility assignments such as walking, biking and directed patrol in those areas. They focused on identifying suspicious individuals in each of the focus areas. We were able to have a positive affect on residential burglaries this month, there were only five incidents reported, two of which were domestic related. During the month of April we will continue to focus on thefts related to motor vehicles and plan to distribute flyers in the areas that are affected the most, along with high visibility assignments. We will also utilize high visibility assignments to focus on the recent increase in violent crime.

Crime Trends for March:
Church Hill – thefts related to vehicles.
Chimborazo – no current trend.
Church Hill North – no current trend.
Fulton – Aggravated Assaults and thefts related to vehicles.
Oakwood – no current trend.
Union Hill – thefts related to vehicles.

Sincerely,
Lt. James Laino
First Precinct – Sector 111
2501 Q St.
(O) 646-0572
james.laino@richmondgov.com

CRIME PREVENTION TIPS

Motor Vehicle Theft:
Never leave your car running unattended (don’t warm up your car)
Never leave a spare set of keys in your vehicle
Keep your vehicle locked

Thefts from motor vehicles:
Always keep your vehicle locked.
Don’t leave your car running or spare keys inside.
Take personal items in your home/apartment or secure in the trunk – especially IPod’s, GPS’s and change.
Inform your guests about leaving items in the interior of their vehicles.
To prevent theft of license plates, purchase anti-theft license plate screws ranging from $3 to $10 at your local hardware or auto parts store.

Burglaries:
Make sure you always lock your doors and windows when you leave home.
If you are working in the rear yard, be sure to lock your front door.
Don’t leave items out that can be used to gain entry through a window, such as ladders.
Keep shrubs and trees trimmed.
Make sure sheds and outbuildings are always locked.
Get to know your neighbors –keep a watch on each others property and exchange contact numbers in case there is an emergency.
Don’t leave items unsecured in your yard such as bikes and lawn mowers; this sometimes invites criminals onto your property.
Notify the Police Dept if you are going on vacation or out of town on business.