(July 30, 2003) -- An alert LBPD officer patroling the area of Anaheim St. near Orange Ave. triggered a series of events that culminated in the arrest of a suspect for car theft, hit and run, possession of drug paraphrenalia and a parole violation.

Residents in the MacArthur park neighborhood at Anaheim/Gundry may have noticed some commotion around midnight on July 28-29. Info here is via LBPD Public Information Officer Greg Schirmer.

At about 11:30 p.m. on July 28, LBPD Officer Anguiano was headed east on Anaheim St. near Orange Ave. and noticed a vehicle going westbound with a headlight out.

As the vehicle passed by, Officer Anguiano heard it accelerate. Officer Anguiano made a quick U-turn to pull the vehicle over for the broken headlight...and saw the vehicle crash into a building at Anaheim St. and Gundry Ave. (apparently trying to make a fast turn off Anaheim). The driver fled as the officer approached.

Officer Anguiano checked to see if anyone else was in the car or possibly injured...and noticed the steering column was broken and the ignition switch was punched out...signs of a stolen vehicle.

The officer radioed a suspect description and LBPD showed up in force, set up a perimeter and searched for the suspect.

They found him...hiding in a garbage can.

The suspect was a parolee at large (on parole for possession of a controlled substance). He is now off the streets, arrested for the stolen vehicle, hit and run (leaving the scene of an accident) and possession of drug paraphrenalia.

In our opinion, there's much that's noteworthy here. First, this (again) shows why Councilmembers must provide taxpayers with at least two sworn offices per thousand residents of the city. LBPD can't deploy what Councilmembers don't budget to employ. The suspect now under arrest would still be in that neighborhood -- or elsewhere -- if an LBPD officer hadn't been on patrol.

Second, the suspect might have gotten away without sufficient skilled officers to set up a perimeter to apprehend him. A perimeter is hard, labor intensive work. It involves putting a large number of units in a small area who know neighborhood streets, alleys, nooks and crannies and can block them off fast.

Finally, and ultimately most important, was the good job by a smart, alert cop on patrol. If LBPD Officer Anguiano hadn't been driving down Anaheim St., or didn't notice that car with the headlight out, or didn't notice the driver speeding up as he passed by, or didn't move fast to follow-up, that suspect would still be on the street.

We doubt the suspect will be testifying any time soon at the LB City Council in favor of budgeting at least two officers per thousand residents, but we're fairly sure he rues the day Officer Anguiano was on Anaheim St. and LBPD caught him. We believe a well-run city can provide taxpayers with sufficient police and compensate them properly.

There are other issues here beyond the scope of this article. These include another alleged LB crime by another parolee, another event victimizing LB and consuming LB police resources. These are matters Sacramento should have confronted long ago.

But on the LB level, we say: Good work, Officer Anguiano...and to the overnight officers in the MacArthur park area.]