As one example, we cite the recent experiences of residents in the Lakewood Village area, a well kept neighborhood basically between LBCC's ELB campus and the City of Lakewood. Our information below was provided by a member of the Lakewood Village Community Watch, which works with LBPD. The Community Watch member independently contacted LBREPORT.com and alerted us to the crimes experienced in the neighborhood; the perspective below is entirely LBREPORT.com's.

In November 2013, the neighborhood from Lakewood Blvd. to Bellflower Blvd. between Carson St. and Del Amo Blvd. had ten auto burglaries (two were petty thefts). (The total is eleven if one adds a Dec. 1 auto burglary just south of Carson St. at 5000 Lew Davis Dr. (LBCC area.)

The City's release indicated that "slight increases" are expected in residential burglary (1.0%) (from 2012 to 2013)...but (as LBREPORT.com previously reported) the 1% increase during the immediate past year comes on top of a roughly 23% increase the year before (2011 to 2012), which means the total increase in residential burglaries citywide is closer to roughly 24%..

LBPD's crimereports.com link [reflecting LBPD reported data] indicates that between November 1 and December 31, 2013, the Lakewood Village area had four residential burglaries, including two on the same date in the same block (4600 Whitewood Dr.) and one of the final day of 2013 in the 4300 block of Bellflower Blvd. There were also two auto burglaries and one petty theft from an auto within a few hours of each other on the same day in mid-December.

Here are the figures provided to us by the Lakewood Village Community Watch member, based on data on LBPD's website:

11-01 - Auto Burglary (petty theft) 4400 Block of Village Rd
11-02 - Auto Burglary (petty theft) 5100 Block of Carson St
11-02 - Assault/Battery (on person) 4600 Block of Lakewood Blvd
11-04 - Auto Burglary - 5300 Block of Centralia St
11-09 - Property Crime (Vandalism) 5100 Block of Centralia St
11-10 - Auto Theft - 5300 Block of Arbor Rd
11-13 - Auto Burglary - 5300 Block of Centralia St
11-14 - Drug Possesion (controlled Sustance) 5400 Carson St
11-16 - Auto Burglary - Blackthorne Ave & Harvey Way
11-16 - DUI Arrest - Carson St & Bellflower Blvd
11-17 - Auto Burglary - 4500 Block of Montair Ave
11-18 - Robbery (on person) Bellflower Blvd & Harvey Way
11-18 - Robbery (on person) Bellflower Blvd & Arbor Rd
11-19 - Auto Burglary - 5100 Block of Arbor Rd
11-19 - Residential Burglary - 4100 Block of Greenbrier Rd
11-23 - Auto Burglary - 4500 Block of Montair Ave
11-24 - Robbery (store) - 4900 Block of Del Amo Blvd
11-25 - Auto Burglary - 4100 Block of Charlemange Ave
11-27 - Auto Theft - Arbor Rd & Clark Ave
11-27 - Auto Theft - 4600 Block of Bellflower Blvd

Robberies = 3
Assault/Battery = 1
Auto Theft = 3
Auto Burglaries = 9
Residential Burglary = 1
Drug Possession = 1
Property Crime =1
DUI = 1
Grand Total = 20

Below is information LBREPORT.com came up with based on December 2013 data on crimereports.com.

12-1-13: 5000 block Lew Davis -- auto burglary (south of Carson)
12-4-13   4900 block Carson-- battery with serious injury
12-7-13   4300 block Blackthorne -- petty theft
12-12-13  4900 block Carson -- petty bike theft
12-15-13  4200 block Pepperwood -- attempted residential burglary *
12-16-13  5300 block Centralia -- battery
12-18-13  4200 block Pepperwood -- residential burglary *
12-18-13  4200 block Greenbrier -- petty theft from auto
12-18-13  4200 block Montair -- auto burglary
12-18-13  4100 block Charlemagne -- auto burglary
12-19-13  4800 block Lakewood -- battery
12-22-13  4800 block Bellflower -- comm'l burglary
12-28-13  4900 block Carson -- commercial burglary
12-30-13  4600 block Whitewood -- residential burg (6:20 a.m.)
12-30-13  4600 block Whitehood -- residential burg (9:06 p.m.)
12-31-13  4300 block Bellflower -- res burg
[* Dates reflect dates of occurrence indicated by
Lakewood Village Community Watch, which says reports were
subsequently filed with LBPD on Dec. 22.]

And to ring in the New Year, LBREPORT.com has learned that a residential burglary was discovered in the 4800 block of Harvey Way on January 5...but residents are pushing back.

As separately reported by LBREPORT.com, on Jan. 13 an alert resident within the Lakewood Village Community Watch area spotted what looked like a residential burglary in progress. The resident called 9-1-1; LBPD responded...and using information provided by the alert resident located two suspects, arrested them, recovered the allegedly stolen loot and returned it to its rightful owner. (LBREPORT.com coverage, click here