Neighborhood Watch
On Wednesday January 18th, the BRCC hosted a meeting with the police to address the recent burglaries in the area. Lt. Paul Rorrison and Officer Alan Alvarez presented information on the crimes as well as many ways to harden yourself, cars and home from being a target.
From Nov 1, 2011 thru Jan 17, 2012, there have been 9 burglaries that they spoke of in Bird Rock and Upper Hermosa. Of the nine, 7 of the burglaries were entered thru an unlocked door or window. One of the burglaries occurred while the resident was home (in the overnight hours). In the last burglary occurring between 11am -1pm, the home was locked with the alarm on and a dog inside. The burglar used a piece of firewood to break a window (the seal on that window was never broken so the alarm never sounded) and enter the home. They also locked up the dog.
Many question were asked about the solicitors that seem to find their way into our neighborhood again and again. The BIGGEST take away was that it was confirmed by the police that these people are casing our homes to steal from us later that same day or burglarize our homes later including identity theft from our mail. These teenagers who knock on our doors at all hours of the evening, are generally runaways and homeless who are put up in a motel in other parts of SD by cons on parole and driven into the area in groups in exchange for soliciting. They are extremely aggressive. Often they work in groups; 2 knock on the front door while a 3rd goes around to the back of the house so, if the door is unlocked and the owner is preoccupied at the front door, they can steal purses, wallets, cell phones etc. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU NEVER OPEN THE DOOR TO SOMEONE YOU DO NOT KNOW! As Officer Alvarez said, it is not a law that you have to open your door to these people. It has been explained by the police that if you open the door to a solicitor, they now have your time. If they are casing your home, they know if you are a strong adult male or a little old lady, whether you have a dog, if there is a flat screen TV or if you keep your purse or wallet by the front door. If they intend to do harm to you, by opening the door, they are in your home. NEVER OPEN YOUR DOOR TO SOMEONE YOU DO NOT KNOW! If you do get caught at the front door by a solicitor, ask to see their city issued permit, THEY WILL TURN AND RUN because they know that they are not allowed to go door to door without the permit.
As questions were asked, the response from the police was consistent?CALL THE POLICE! The police want to be called if you don't feel right about a situation, if you are feeling threatened. They want to come out and see for themselves. You never know who is in our neighborhood and what their past includes. When in doubt, CALL THE POLICE! It is a 911 call if you are being threatened or a crime is happening NOW. All other calls are to the non-emergency number (619) 531-2000. ALWAYS ASK THE DISPATCHER FOR AN INCIDENT NUMBER WHILE MAKING A REPORT. This is important and a number that you will use for insurance reasons or to reference the call to follow up.
There is a department in the police called "HOT" which stands for Homeless Outreach Team. These are officers who are specially trained to deal with the homeless and know of services that many of the other officers may not. If you have an on-going issue with a homeless person, please let the BRCC know via email.
Here is a list of ways to harden your home from being a target:
~Lock all doors and windows. It is important to secure your home before you leave and at night.
~Leave your front porch light on overnight.
~Each house must have a PEEP HOLE on the front door to identify those at your door.
~Have your address clearly visible on the front of your house. IF YOU HAVE ALLEY ACCESS, put your house numbers on the backside of the house or fence. You will have a quicker response from police and fire.
~If you have gates on the alley, use a combination lock to secure the entry.
~If you park your car on the street or driveway at night, remove your garage door opener. In the past, criminals have broken into cars to then break into garages.
~If someone not known to you tries your door or rings the bell, CALL THE POLICE.
~Lock the door from your garage to your house if you have an attached garage.
~Lock the door to your garage nightly if your garage is detached.
~Put your trash out ONLY the morning of trash day. Criminals have the cover of night to sort thru your trash to see a box for a new computer or electronic device.
~Shred all personal documents. Never put them into your trash.
For your Car:
~Lock your car.
~Remove everything from sight. Each night there is someone in the area walking up our streets, trying the doors of cars and looking inside. If it is open, they will enter. If there is something of interest, the window will be broken for them to see if it is valuable. It could be an empty computer bag, they get nothing and your have to pay for a new window.
Sewer Group 714 Replacement Project
Sewer Group 714 is part of the City of San Diego's continuing annual capital improvement program that replaces old, deteriorated sewer mains within the City's right-of-way. The program also consists of relocating inaccessible sewer mains to the streets, which makes the sewer mains more accessible for maintenance purposes. The sewer mains to be replaced by this project have completed their useful life and replacement is necessary in order to decrease sewer main stoppages and improve the sewage collection systems. Sewer Group 714 will replace and/or install approximately 6,655 linear feet of 8-inch and 10-inch sewer main. The project includes the connection of existing sewer lateral services to the newly installed sewer mains, curb ramp installation and street resurfacing. The project is currently at the 100% design phase.
The limits of construction activities for Sewer Group 714 are concentrated within the following streets: Bonair Way to the north, Midway Street to the south, Dolphin Place to the west and Bellevue Avenue to the east.
Please view the documents below for further information.
NOTE: Scheduling and location of work subject to change without prior notice.
Annual Maintenance Assessment District Meeting
Nearly 60 property owners turned out at the annual maintenance assessment district meeting in response to the direct mail invitation to 1500 property owners in the district. Joe LaCava described the progress over the past year and discussed the draft budget for the the upcoming fiscal year (July 2010 to June 2011). The audience had numerous questions about maintenance over the past year, plant removals, plans for the upcoming year, and sought clarification of the budget line items. In the end there was consensus on the draft budget which will be forwarded to the City of San Diego. George Sutton gave an update on the progress of the boulevard decorative lighting program and answered questions. Barbara Dunbar described the revised landscaping plan noting the first example is now in place in front of CVS.
4th Annual Tour of Bird Rock Homes
Bird Rock Community Council is pleased to report that our 4th Annual Bird Rock Home Tour on Saturday, January 30th was a big success. Special thanks and appreciation to our lead sponsor for the third year, Tim Golba of Golba Architecture as well as to Tony Parker General Builders, Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, Linda Daniels Realtor with Willis Allen, Wells Fargo, Witt Lincoln Mercury, Gamboa Gardening, Lele's Cleaners, Bodywear Boutique and The Santman Family. Special thanks to chair Michelle Fulks, her co-chairs Ali Dommer and Sabrina Parr and all the volunteers that made this event possible. Folks had a wonderful day touring beautifully appointed homes. Each home had its own distinct style and charm which reflect the uniqueness of the Bird Rock neighborhood and revealed an abundance of creative ideas. This event showcased the pride in homeownership. The Bird Rock Home Tour again benefits Bird Rock Elementary School with a focus on technology.
Bird Rock Toy Drive A Big Success!
Thank you to those that brought new unwrapped toys to Bird Rock Coffee Roasters. We received over a $1000 worth of toys! We distributed them to children of homeless families through one of the local agencies. We are blessed to be living in Bird Rock, with your a help a child experienced the joy and hope of the holidays.
Welcome to our treasured community of Bird Rock, this lovely neighborhood on the ocean shores blessed by natural beauty, great weather and vibrant and friendly residents and merchants. Come visit our website often to learn about our work, dine, play and shops - we would love to have you.