BANK ROBBERY RATE DECLINES CITY TASK FORCE MAY HAVE DETERRED HEISTS.Byline: Cecilia Chan Staff Writer Robbers have knocked off two banks this year in Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. - the most recent last week - and tried a heist at a third lending institution Noun 1. lending institution - a financial institution that makes loans financial institution, financial organisation, financial organization - an institution (public or private) that collects funds (from the public or other institutions) and invests them in . Not bad for a city that was plagued by eight robberies and one attempted robbery in 2000, prompting the city to organize a Bank Robberies Task Force. Nearby Westlake Village and Agoura Hills also experienced a rash of robberies the same year. ``So far there've been two in six months,'' said Larry Logan, the Thousand Oaks crime prevention officer who headed the task force, which is now merged with a fraud control group. ``Compared with last year we are doing very well.'' The city saw six robberies and one attempt in 2001. The task force, made up of city officials, law enforcement and bank executives, met and came up with long-term solutions to minimize the number of robberies. Solutions included beefed-up security - such as installing color and digital camera systems with zoom capability - and training employees what to do during a robbery. However, Logan said, there's no proof the task force attributed to the dropping numbers of bank robberies. ``I can't honestly look you in the eye and say yes,'' Logan said. ``There's no way to tell.'' City police crime analyst Steve Sullivan Steve Sullivan (born July 6, 1974 in Timmins, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League and has played for the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators. said banks especially in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , once considered the bank robbery capital of the world, toughened their security measures Noun 1. security measures - measures taken as a precaution against theft or espionage or sabotage etc.; "military security has been stepped up since the recent uprising" security , which could be prompting criminals to look elsewhere. ``We have seen a drop-off in some of these robberies, but we've also seen an increase in other types of robberies,'' he said. ``It may have been a long-term shift in the types of target the suspects have gone after.'' However, the task force has heightened awareness among bank employees on what to look for during a robbery and recommended security equipment, which have led to the capture of a couple of the crooks, Logan said. ``Banks are better prepared to report the crime based on what occurred,'' he said. ``It's more effective because they know what we need.'' Another result of the task force is that communication between banks and law enforcement has improved, Logan said. Often he would get calls from employees reporting suspicious sightings
Sightings was a paranormal-themed television program that was first broadcast as an hour special entitled "UFO Report: Sightings" in October 1991. in the bank. ``This never occurred in the past,'' Logan said. ``The lines of communication "Lines of Communication" is an episode from the fourth season of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5. Synopsis Franklin and Marcus attempt to persuade the Mars resistance to assist Sheridan in opposing President Clark. has really been opened wide.'' |
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