What crime prevention programs are available in Lakewood?
To ensure that lives and property in Lakewood are safe, the city and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department provide specialized crime prevention and law enforcement programs, including:
- Lakewood Sheriff's Community Safety Center. The community safety center is in the Lakewood Center mall (in the Target store wing). The safety center is open during mall hours.
- Career Criminal Apprehension Program. The city and the Lakewood Sheriff's Station jointly sponsor a sophisticated crime analysis unit.
- Crime and Nuisance Property Abatement Team. The abatement team made up of a city code enforcement official, a Sheriff's deputy, and the city prosecutor deals with property maintenance violations that mask criminal activity.
- Neighborhood Watch, Business Watch, and the LAND apartment owners program. Lakewood and the Lakewood Sheriff's Station sponsor specialized crime prevention and training programs for residents, business operators, and landlords.
- PAVE Program. PAVE deputies are assigned to work directly with neighborhood members to respond to their concerns about crime.
- Sky Knight helicopter patrol. Lakewood's pioneering Sky Knight program began in 1966 as the first regular helicopter patrol program in the nation. Today, helicopters with civilian pilots and Sheriff's deputy observers keep watch over cities served by the Lakewood Sheriff's Station.
- Specially Assigned Officers. Teams of Specially Assigned Officers (SAOs) work crime hot spots and patrol Lakewood Center along with deputies assigned to the mall.
- Volunteers on Patrol. Trained civilian volunteers assist Sheriff's deputies by making routine patrols through parks, shopping centers, and school sites, working traffic control, and working with the security services at Lakewood Center mall. For information about joining VOP, call the Lakewood Sheriffs station at 562-623-3500.
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