--- title: "\"\"Hide It, Lock It, or Lose It\"\"" type: "pdf" year: "2011" canonical: "/projects/938" --- ![img-0.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/11-62/img-0.jpeg) ![img-1.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/11-62/img-1.jpeg) # Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem Oriented Policing Submission 2011 # Table of Contents - [Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem Oriented Policing Submission 2011](#herman-goldstein-award-for-excellence-in-problem-oriented-policing-submission-2011) - [Hide It, Lock It, Or Lose I](#hide-it-lock-it-or-lose-i) - [Dana Point Police Services](#dana-point-police-services) - [Mark Levy- OCSD, Chief of Police Services](#mark-levy-ocsd-chief-of-police-services) - [DANA POINT COMMUNITY SERVICE UNIT (CSU)](#dana-point-community-service-unit-csu) - [Part I: Summary: "Hide It, Lock It or Lose It" Program](#part-i-summary-hide-it-lock-it-or-lose-it-program) - [95\% of all crime committed in Dana Point is a Property Crime](#95-of-all-crime-committed-in-dana-point-is-a-property-crime) - [$40 \%$ of those crimes involved vehicles](#40-of-those-crimes-involved-vehicles) - [Part II: Detailed Description of "Hide It, Lock It or Lose It" Program](#part-ii-detailed-description-of-hide-it-lock-it-or-lose-it-program) - [A. SCAN](#a-scan) - [B. ANALYSIS](#b-analysis) - [C. RESPONSE](#c-response) - [SHWAZOOK!](#shwazook) - [D. ASSESSMENT](#d-assessment) - [PART III: Agency and Officer Information](#part-iii-agency-and-officer-information) - [Dana Point Police Services COMMUNITY SERVICE UNIT (CSU)](#dana-point-police-services-community-service-unit-csu) - ["Hide It, Lock It, Or Lose It" / SHWAZOOKI booth](#hide-it-lock-it-or-lose-it-shwazooki-booth) - [2010 WSA Surf Competition – Salt Creek Beach](#2010-wsa-surf-competition-salt-creek-beach) - [VEHICLE-RELATED COMPARISONS](#vehicle-related-comparisons) - [SEPTEMBER 2009 - SEPTEMBER 2010](#september-2009-september-2010) - [UNLOCKED COMPARISONS](#unlocked-comparisons) - [SEPTEMBER 2009 - SEPTEMBER 2010](#september-2009-september-2010) - [CITY OF DANA POINT](#city-of-dana-point) - [HILIOLI CRIME STATS](#hilioli-crime-stats) - [SEPTEMBER 2009 - SEPTEMBER 2010](#september-2009-september-2010) - [DANA POINT HIGH 2009-2010 PROPERTY CRIMES](#dana-point-high-2009-2010-property-crimes) - [It only takes a few seconds to protect your valuables](#it-only-takes-a-few-seconds-to-protect-your-valuables) - [It's true!](#its-true) - [HideibLookitOnLoselicom](#hideiblookitonloselicom) - [Dana Point is a wonderful community.](#dana-point-is-a-wonderful-community) - [Get involved!](#get-involved) - [95%](#95) - [40%](#40) - [48%](#48) - [6700](#6700) - [$300,000](#300000) - [5](#5) - [$450](#450) - [33%](#33) - [2](#2) - [In Dana Point, a different way of policing](#in-dana-point-a-different-way-of-policing) - [Philosophy and strategy](#philosophy-and-strategy) - [A different way](#a-different-way) ## Hide It, Lock It, Or Lose I ### Dana Point Police Services ### Mark Levy- OCSD, Chief of Police Services ### DANA POINT COMMUNITY SERVICE UNIT (CSU) - Sergeant Jim Greenwood - Deputy Jose Pelayo - Deputy Jonathan Daruvala - Deputy Dave Cappel - Community Services Officer Cassie Levine "As a team, we strive to provide the best quality of life possible for all to enjoy by implementing the highest level of law enforcement service in the City of Dana Point through responsive, caring and professional individuals." # Part I: Summary: "Hide It, Lock It or Lose It" Program SCANNING: In addition to helping solve local community issues the City of Dana Point Community Services Unit (CSU) is also very involved in the overall reduction and prevention of crime in our community. Utilizing COPPS model techniques the Community Services Unit identified a "factor" that is directly related to an extraordinarily high percentage of property crimes occurring in our community: ## 95\% of all crime committed in Dana Point is a Property Crime ## $40 \%$ of those crimes involved vehicles 48\% of the involved vehicles were unlocked at the time the crime occurred ANALYSIS: Working together with of our crime analysis unit, it became clear that a large percentage of our crime could be prevented if we could get the community to embrace the idea of putting valuables out of plain sight and locking vehicle doors. In collaboration with community members and city staff we decided the best avenue to reach the public and elicit their help was an outreach campaign. Thus we created; the "Hide It, Lock It, Or Lose It" program. RESPONSE: "Hide It, Lock It, Or Lose It" (HILIOLI) is a crime prevention program aimed at reducing thefts, specifically from unlocked vehicles. Through this campaign, we are asking our community members to become pro-active in safeguarding their personal property. The program asks them to take a few extra steps when leaving their vehicles unattended. Our literature and presentations are designed to motivate residents, students and visitors to take the extra 5 to 10 seconds to put their belongings out of plain view and secure their vehicle doors. We explain in both mediums that we estimate we could reduce overall crime and calls for service by $30 \%$ or more if they will participate in this effort. In addition we remind them that low property crime rates translate to higher home values and reduced vehicle and residential insurance rates. The CSU has used the HILIOLI concept as their "standard" since we implemented it at the beginning of 2010. It has allowed them to draw attention to the problem, solicit assistance from the community and disseminate related literature and premium items. It also "opened the door" to improved dialogue between Law Enforcement and the community on other unrelated issues and concerns. ASSESSMENT: In a years time this program has reduced thefts from unlocked vehicles by $\mathbf{2 4 \%}$ and overall thefts from vehicles by $\mathbf{4 0 \%}$. At our High School; where we saw and inordinate amount of thefts, we were able to reduce property crimes by $\mathbf{4 2 \%}$. This program can be easily replicated in any community experiencing this sort of criminal activity. # Part II: Detailed Description of "Hide It, Lock It or Lose It" Program ## A. SCAN The City of Dana Point chose to develop the CSU team and the "Hide It, Lock It, Or Lose It" program based on the Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving model. The City Manager, Doug Chotkevys and Chief of Police Services, Mark Levy-OCSD, each have extensive backgrounds in Community Policing. It was their goal to integrate these concepts into the way we provide police services to the city of Dana Point as part of their service philosophies. Although our city is not a haven for crime and our crimes against persons are minimal we have become a "target community" for burglars and thieves from within and outside of our community. By studying crime statistics, surveying community members and receiving input from deputies working this city; it became evident that, "opportunistic" thefts were a prevalent (and highly preventable) crime occurring in our community. What we found was: 95\% of all crime committed in Dana Point is a theft, $40 \%$ of these crimes involved thefts from vehicles, $48 \%$ of the vehicles involved were unlocked at the time of the theft. Based upon these numbers we believed we could prevent a large percentage of crime in this community by engaging the public and encouraging them to put their personal belongings out of sight and lock their cars. We enlisted the assistance of local community members, business owners and city staff to help us craft a program to achieve this goal. We acquired grant funding and worked as a collaborative team to develop a public outreach program to reduce the incidence of these highly preventable crimes. Once we had agreed there was an issue and that we could reduce or eliminate the problem, it was time to develop and implement a campaign. We had the great fortune of having a local community member; Ron Leland, who is the owner of Real Life Branding LLC, (a marketing and product development company) offer to assist us in the creation of the logos and marketing strategy. Our Administrative Sergeant Lynn Koehmstedt found a Federal Grant source to pay for the programs development and our own School Resource Officer, John Good developed the phrase "hide it, lock it or lose it". We met continually with Real Life Branding as the program was developed and the media efforts were launched. We learned a lot about how difficult it is to develop a product and a message that will reach the target audience and get them to "buy into" the "value" of the concept. We learned a lot during this process and by being so intimately involved in the crafting of the program our CSU team felt a great deal of ownership and supported our plan wholeheartedly. It was with that "buy in" that the next step in the process was so successful. Because of their involvement in the development of the program the deputies and CSO each felt a vested interest in seeing the program succeed. They conveyed that sentiment to their peers and the community at large. They built a power point presentation and utilized it at countless Community Outreach Meetings. They met with Civic organizations, business owners, city departments and sport organizations. We worked closely with the business community to get our logos in their windows and enlisted their help in distributing specific premium items geared towards the different demographic segments of our community. In addition, they spent many weekends staffing our HILIOLI /SHWAZOOKI booth at events throughout the year. (The term "SHWAZOOKI" is an "urban surfer" term that means to "stash" your stuff) Through interviews and crime statistics we realized that many of our victims and a fair amount of our perpetrators were between the ages of 15 and 21. We took a look at our Dana Hills High School and when statistically isolated from the city; our High School showed a very high rate of this exact sort of crime occurrence. For that reason we developed this "niche" outreach for our high school students and surfer youth in Dana Point. We utilized school clubs and the student governance to help us develop the concept of SHWAZOOKI. The students participated in each phase of the program development, picture layouts and some students even appear in the outreach materials (with parental permission). This particular sub-segment of the program has been successful in reducing petty thefts by $18 \%$, burglaries by $83 \%$ and grand thefts by $80 \%$ on the High School campus this year. Another unique piece to this program that we developed as part of our strategy was the "It" stickers and other promotional items that all bear that same logo. We took the time to have "It" stickers created in the same fashion as local oil change outlets make their reminder stickers Their stickers tell you when to come back for an oil change, ours tell you to put your belongings out of sight and lock it up on your way out. We distribute these at events so that people can place them in their vehicle windows and at home so they are reminded as they exit to make sure and secure items and lock the doors. We also have our Volunteers use these when they do their outreach in communities where thefts are occurring. (examples attached) Our Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS) have also been engaged to carry our crime prevention message to the community. Each week, the CSU Sergeant receives a list of addresses where thefts have occurred. He then assigns the VIPS to canvas the neighborhood, contacting each household and telling them that a crime has occurred nearby and that by taking some precautionary measures (HILIOLI) they can prevent further occurrences. For those residents that are not home we leave a "door hanger" with HILOLI information and a sticker kit for their vehicle and home. Our project goal was to reduce property crime rates by engaging the community and having them become active partners in this cause. We have seen a remarkable drop in property crime occurrences from unlocked vehicles and a recent citywide satisfaction survey showed a 96\% "highly satisfied" rating by our constituency with Public Safety being the top rated service among all others. # B. ANALYSIS The OCSD - Crime Analysis Unit and the Community Services Officer assigned to the Dana Point Community Services Unit (CSU) are responsible for tracking and maintaining records pertinent to CSU team activities and the success of the HILIOLI campaign. Analysis techniques such as charts, diagrams and graphs along with written descriptions are used to help identify the problems we are dealing with as well as the progress we have made in addressing and solving them. Monthly reports are completed to show progress in areas such as but not limited to; burglaries, thefts, assaults and vandalism. Since it usually takes some time for new ideas to take effect, crime trends over a period of several months are analyzed and reported. For the HILIOLI campaign, CSO Levine has been maintaining and analyzing crime statistics in order to produce a monthly progress sheet. Since our area of focus for this particular program is thefts, specific crimes are tracked and documented on a regular basis. By utilizing spreadsheets, graphs and charts we are able to track the success of our community outreach efforts that are designed to educate the public about the importance of securing their vehicles and personal belongings at all times. Crime maps help to pinpoint the exact location or certain trends or ongoing problems, thus making it easier to address and fix those issues. In addition, the detailed crime spreadsheet gives specific information such as the type of crime and when it occurred, right down to the specific method of entry and location. This particular information is especially helpful when it comes to evaluating what points are most important to stress when doing presentations and educating the public. This process gives us a quantitative method to measure success and help us refocus our efforts accordingly. We understand that quantitative methods are just one "tool" we use to try and define success. The" subjective" also plays a big part in how the community perceives our efforts. We believe that we have succeeded in both veins. Our statistics and the satisfaction survey ratings show the obvious success of our CSU Team and the "Hide it Lock it or Lose it" program. # C. RESPONSE By studying crime statistics, surveying community members and receiving input from deputies working this city we determined that "opportunistic" thefts were a prevalent (and highly preventable) crime occurring in our community. Based upon these numbers we believed we could prevent a large percentage of crime in this community by engaging the public and encouraging them to put their personal belongings out of sight and lock their cars. We enlisted the assistance of local community members, business owners and city staff to help us craft a program to achieve this goal. We acquired grant funding and worked as a collaborative team to develop a public outreach program to reduce the incidence of these highly preventable crimes. From September 2009 through September 2010; 42 community meetings were held with hundreds of people in attendance and the CSU did outreach at 23 events citywide, exposing thousands of people to the HILIOLI campaign, the CSU team and other public safety services . The project website generated broad interest worldwide with "hits" from over 23 countries. To date, there have been over 5,500 visits to the website at www.hideitlockitorloseit.com. Through those efforts we developed and implemented the "Hide It, Lock It or Lose It" and "Shwazooki" campaigns. Ownership and "buy in" was first established within our CSU team. They in turn conveyed that sentiment to their peers and the community at large. They also met with Civic organizations, business owners, city departments and sport groups. In addition, they spent many weekends staffing our HILIOLI /SHWAZOOKI booths at events throughout the year. We took a look at our high school and when statistically isolated from the city in general our High School showed a very high rate of this exact sort of crime occurrence. For that reason we developed this niche outreach for our high school students and surfer youth in Dana Point. We utilized school clubs and the student governance to help us develop the concept of SHWAZOOKI. The students participated in each phase of the program development, picture layouts and some students even appear in the outreach materials (with parental permission). This particular segment of the program has been successful in reducing property crimes on the High School campus by 24\%. Petty thefts went down 18\%, Burglaries decreased 83\% and Grand thefts decreased an amazing 80\%. # SHWAZOOK! Another unique piece to this program that we developed as part of our strategy was the "It" stickers and other promotional items that all bear that same logo and we distribute these at events so that people can place them in their vehicle windows and at home so they are reminded as they exit to make sure and secure items and lock the doors. Our Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS) have also been engaged to carry our crime prevention message to the community. Each week, the CSU Sergeant receives a list of addresses where thefts have occurred. He then assigns the VIPS to canvas the neighborhood, contacting each household and telling them that a crime has occurred nearby and that by taking some precautionary measures (HILIOLI) they can prevent further occurrences. For those residents that are not home we leave a "door hanger" with HILOLI information and a sticker kit for their vehicle and home. Our project goal was to reduce property crime rates by engaging the community and having them become active partners in this cause. We have seen a remarkable drop in property crime occurrences from unlocked vehicles and a recent citywide satisfaction survey showed a 96\% "highly satisfied" constituency; with Public Safety being the top rated among all others. These objective and subjective results indicate that we have found a viable solution that allows us to address this particular issue long term; while engaging the community and developing relationships for future endeavors. This year we will be working closely with the business community to gain further support for the campaign while surveying and identifying public safety issues that may negatively affect their business operations. # D. ASSESSMENT We have made significant progress in reducing property crime in our community and have done so by implementing a sustainable program that addresses this issue directly and opens up collateral channels of contact with our residents. We believe we can continue to decrease property crime in our city further each year by continuing to keep this campaign "fresh", keeping our patrol force engaged and further developing relationships with our constituency. Since the inception of this campaign, crime rates have dropped significantly. From September 2009 to September 2010, reported crime citywide dropped as follows: Vehicle related thefts dropped from 37 to 17 incidents for a percentage decrease of $54 \%$. Thefts from unlocked vehicles dropped from 33 to 10, a decrease of 70\%. Overall, Property crimes dropped from 48 incidents to 32, a decrease of $33 \%$. In addition to the crime rate dropping citywide, we looked particularly at Dana Hills High School where we utilized the "Shwazooki" campaign. When comparing 2009 and 2010 we see substantial decreases in Property Crime; Petty thefts decreased 18\%, Burglaries decreased 83\% and Grand thefts decreased an amazing 80\%. Overall, DHHS had a 43\% decrease in property crimes for 2010. We absolutely believe these reductions in crime can be directly attributed to the implementation of this program. We have surpassed our expectations and are excited to see just how far "down" we can push property crime in our city next year. Just as important as the objective successes we have had with the campaign, we are also very proud of the development of the CSU team members as we went through the process. Aside from Sergeant Greenwood, none of these individuals had ever operated under a COPPS philosophy before. So, while developing and implementing this program they each learned how to operate within those parameters; and, although at times they seemed a little uncertain of how it would all turn out, they worked hard and are all "believers" now. This means that not only will they help reduce crime and improve the quality of life of our residents today; they will be able to utilize this methodology and philosophy to implement positive changes in communities throughout their careers. We also know that this program can be easily duplicated in any community that should see the benefit of reducing property crimes. We have been approached several times already with inquiries on how other departments can adopt our program. In order to facilitate the exportation of our program we have developed a set of parameters that we require those who are interested in instituting the program and wish to take advantage of all the documents, logos and premium items we have developed. These parameters simply require them to add their own city or agency "tag " to any webpage, logo and/or premium item so they are distinguished from our originals. They must give the City of Dana Point credit somewhere in their text as the originator of the program and finally that they share their statistics with us so we can evaluate the programs success in other cities and states. For agreeing to those simple parameters we provide them with written permission to reproduce "any and all" of our logos, text, and premium items and will help them with getting the program developed and implemented in their community. (All at no cost to them) Currently, we are working with three Cities in Orange County who are actively pursuing the implementation of this campaign. We believe this program works in reducing property crime, develops COPPS model policing mindsets, and gives agencies the banner to "waive" as they engage the community. The "outreach" piece addresses the immediate problem while opening dialogue with the constituency on other issues, it creates measureable results and it is a long term campaign that can be modified to fit specific needs and it is easily exported. # PART III: Agency and Officer Information ## Dana Point Police Services COMMUNITY SERVICE UNIT (CSU) -Lieutenant Mark Levy, Chief of Police -Sergeant Lynn Koehmstedt, Admin. Supervisor -Sergeant Jim Greenwood, CSU Supervisor -Deputy Jose Pelayo, District 1 -Deputy Jonathan Daruvala, District 2 -Deputy Dave Cappel, District 3 -Community Services Officer Cassie Levine Project Contact Person: Cassie Levine Community Services Officer 33282 Golden Lantern Dana Point, CA. 92629 949-248-3581 949-234-2814 celevine@ocsd.org # "Hide It, Lock It, Or Lose It" / SHWAZOOKI booth ## 2010 WSA Surf Competition – Salt Creek Beach ![img-2.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/11-62/img-2.jpeg) # VEHICLE-RELATED COMPARISONS ## SEPTEMBER 2009 - SEPTEMBER 2010 ![img-3.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/11-62/img-3.jpeg) # UNLOCKED COMPARISONS ## SEPTEMBER 2009 - SEPTEMBER 2010 ![img-4.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/11-62/img-4.jpeg) # CITY OF DANA POINT ## HILIOLI CRIME STATS ## SEPTEMBER 2009 - SEPTEMBER 2010 ![img-5.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/11-62/img-5.jpeg) # DANA POINT HIGH 2009-2010 PROPERTY CRIMES ![img-6.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/11-62/img-6.jpeg) Depicted above is the graph for the total comparisons for 2009 and 2010 for Dana Point High. 459's, had an 83\% decrease in incidents for 2010. 487's had an $80 \%$ decrease in incidents for 2010. 488's had an $18 \%$ decrease in incidents for 2010. ![img-7.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/11-62/img-7.jpeg) Visit us online at ![img-8.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/11-62/img-8.jpeg) ![img-9.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/11-62/img-9.jpeg) ## It only takes a few seconds to protect your valuables In a safe community like Dana Point, it's easy to forget to lock your car, lower a garage door, or secure a bicycle. The HideItLockItOrLoselt campaign is a reminder that simple preventive steps can go a long way toward reducing the frequency of thefts in our city. $\checkmark$ Always lock your car doors, roll up the windows and take your keys with you. $\checkmark$ Do not leave any valuables in your car. If you must, lock them in your trunk. $\checkmark$ Whenever possible, park in open, well-lit, populated areas. In neighborhoods, park in the garage or off of the street. $\checkmark$ Make sure the locks are working on your home's doors and windows, and your front and side garage doors are closed. $\checkmark$ Should a theft occur, report it immediately. (949) 770-6011 (Non-Emergency Dispatch) Please display the attached stickers on your windows as handy reminders. Did you know that theft - usually from an unlocked car is by far the most common crime in Dana Point? # It's true! The good news is that these crimes can be easily prevented. ## HideibLookitOnLoselicom ![img-10.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/11-62/img-10.jpeg) visit our website ![img-11.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/11-62/img-11.jpeg) ## Dana Point is a wonderful community. We're very fortunate to live and work in a place with a perfect climate, scenic vistas, and welcoming neighborhoods where the families on your street truly are friends. In safe communities like ours, it's easy to forget to lock your car, or lower a garage door, or secure a bicycle. The Hide it. Lock it. Or Lose it. campaign is our way of reminding each other that simple preventive steps can go a long way toward reducing the frequency of thefts in our city. In addition, by freeing up police time currently devoted to investigating these thefts, Dana Point Police Services can devote more resources to other crime-prevention priorities in the community. I've worked in law enforcement for more than 28 years, and can personally attest to the impact that neighbors working together can make. I'd encourage you to offer a friendly reminder to the people you meet in town to "shwazooki" their personal belongings. Let's keep "harboring the good life" here in Dana Point. ## Get involved! Reducing thefts in Dana Point requires the involvement of the community. We need your help. Find out how you, your business, your neighborhood, or your community organization can get involved. Call Cassie Levine, Community Services Officer for Dana Point Police Services, at 949-248-3531. ## 95% The percentage of total crimes reported in Dana Point that were Property Crimes (burglaries, petty thefts and grand thefts). ## 40% The percentage of those Property Crimes that involved vehicles. ## 48% The percentage of the cars and trucks involved in these crimes that were not locked. ## 6700 The number of police hours required to investigate and report these Property Crimes each year. ## $300,000 Approximate cost to the community to report and investigate those crimes. ## 5 The number of seconds required to hide valuables from eyesight. ## $450 The approximate cost to replace the contents of a single stolen backpack at a high school. ## 33% The percentage reduction of thefts that would allow police to devote more than 2,000 additional hours to other community priorities. ## 2 The number of seconds required to lock a vehicle. ![img-12.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/11-62/img-12.jpeg) Published: April 28, 2011 Updated: 11:55 a.m. # In Dana Point, a different way of policing By SALVADOR HERNANDEZTHE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER DANA POINT - Deputy Dave Cappel knows where the chain-link fence is cut and that the shortcut leads to a makeshift camp occupied by transients underneath the freeway. He knows the only woman in the group by name, and that her boyfriend was taken to county jail after a violent confrontation with her. One of the men in the camp says he's been homeless for three months. Cappel knows he's been on the streets for five years. When one of the men puts down a plastic bottle of Sprite, Cappel knows immediately its vodka. ![img-13.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/11-62/img-13.jpeg) Deputy Jose Pelayo talks to a man who was driving without a license in Dana Point. Pelayo is part of the Dana Point's Community Service Unit - a community based policing unit that has been in place for about a year now. The program was erupted to help curb the city's property crime, but has helped to provide long-term solutions to the city's consistent problems. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER "Do me a favor, and use that to extinguish the fire, yeah?" Cappel said, pointing to a fire pit made from nearby rocks and heating a pair of potatoes. This is the type of familiarity Sgt. Jim Greenwood has come to expect from the deputies under his command in the three-officer Community Service Unit. He expects the same familiarity with all members of the community - transients, mansion owners, civic leaders, hotel managers and renters. Devised about a year ago, the CSU team has found new ways of policing. Deputies are now intrinsically involved in the community and vehicle burglaries - the unit's primary focus in 2010 -- dropped more than 40 percent. With a population just over 33,000 residents, Dana Point is not a city known for a lot of crime. The Community Service approach envisions a public campaign to get residents involved. In Dec. 2009, Dana Point officials started the "Hide it, Lock it, or Lose it," campaign, which reminded residents to hide their belongings and lock their car doors. A year later, sheriff's officials say the program has been effective. But that was only the start, said Lt. Mark levy, chief of police services. The campaign was a way for deputies to make inroads with the community and begin a new style of policing. For deputies in the unit, it's meant looking for innovative ways to fight crime, other than bringing out the handcuffs, generating arrests and starting again the next day. Sheriff's officials said it's a strategy that can also work in larger cities with different law enforcement issues. In October, the Community Service Unit also received an award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police, including a spot among the top 25 finalists from the worldwide law enforcement competition. The award recognizes law enforcement agencies that implement innovative strategies. # Philosophy and strategy "People have a misconception of (Community Oriented Policing Services) model being about kissing babies, they really do," Levy said. "They really have no idea how effective it is. It's not soft on crime by any means." Levy brought Greenwood to lead the team - a law enforcement veteran with experience in community policing strategies in Long Beach and San Clemente. Greenwood recruited three deputies for the team, which were each assigned one of the city's three districts. The deputies are not usually assigned to respond to regular calls for service. Instead, they look at crime patterns in their district, repeating problems, and look for ways to address the issues with, as Greenwood calls it, "the Wisdom of Solomon." "Even I was a little skeptical when I came into this unit," Cappel said, who is responsible for District 3, the southern portion of the city, which has high density housing and several parolees. "It goes against the grain of everything we have been trained to do." Deputy John Daruvala, an 8-year veteran, is assigned to District 2, the central part the city with apartment buildings, businesses and a growing transient population. Deputy Jose Pelayo is responsible for District 1, the northern and largest swath of the city, which includes high-end hotels, multi-million dollar homes and many tourists. The three deputies admit coming into the unit with doubts, knowing community policing at times translates to attending educational seminars but little implementation or strategy in the streets. But as time passed their view of the new strategy changed. Sheriff's officials began to see a drop in vehicle burglaries. In 2010, the first year that saw the program in place, there were 43 percent fewer vehicle burglaries than the previous year, despite the fact that robberies, assaults, commercial and residential burglaries, changed minimally. Cappel, Daruvala, and Pelayo said they have also seen other changes, including residents who have become familiar with them and seem more willing to approach them. "When I do see them, I talk to them," said Curtis James Norris, a 39-year-old transient at the transient's camp pointing at Cappel. He starts to explain to Cappel his dilemma. "When you're bored, you drink and I'm becoming something I don't want to become," Norris said, noting he used to be a salesman and is still looking for work, though he's fighting an addiction. "When someone hires me, they're going to have the hardest worker." Such encounters may not always yield an arrest, but they help look for other solutions, officials said. "It's more of an auxiliary patrol, and you come with an encyclopedia of information," Cappel said. "I'm probably doing more to fight crime than any other time in my career." # A different way One of the first issues Daruvala had to address was a neighborhood where deputies had been called nearly 200 times in a year. Problems began when new residents, which deputies recognized as having possible mental health issues, moved in. But unless they broke laws, confrontations with neighbors continued and the calls piled up. Deputies were familiar with the neighborhood and dreaded being called, Daruvala said. Their hands were tied to keeping the peace in most cases, and they were unable to bring an end to it. It was frustrating for deputies because it held up resources and provided no solutions. "The typical strategy for law enforcement is enforcement," Greenwood said, adding that some issues require a more creative approach. "Our patrol guys were looking at (Daruvala) with hope in their eyes, asking, 'Are you going to solve this?'" For Pelayo, the new strategy has meant dealing with an aspect outside his experience in law enforcement. To address the number of thefts at the beach, he has been working with the county, the city, and private companies to bring lockers to the beach. "I'm not business savvy," he said. But he's learned the intricacies of "red-tape" and hopes those lockers will be in place this summer, he said. "Even though I don't live here, I'm part of the community," Pelayo said. For the deputies it means building relationships with everyone, including hotel managers, parolees and residents. "The quality of that relationship depends on how we conduct ourselves," Greenwood said. "If we go out and we are polite and professional, then we get along very well. If we go out and we're offensive and abusive in any way, they want nothing to do with you.