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  Los
Banos Most Wanted - Click Here | Two
Los Banos Online Crime Reporting Tools
Online
Police Report Reporting System Do
you know that the Los Banos Police Department has an online
police report tool where you can report crimes that do not need officer assistance
and are NOT emergencies? Using this online
citizen police report system allows you to submit a report immediately and print
a copy of the police report for free. You might consider using the tool if the
incident you are reporting is: 1) NOT an Emergency 2) The incident occurred within
the Los Banos City limits 3) There are no known suspects or leads. 4) There is
no need to speak with an officer or follow-up necessary. 5) This did not occur
on a State Freeway. It is an ideal place
to report graffiti. Please
click here for more details.
So
Called ANONYMOUS Reporting Tool There is ANOTHER online
reporting tool available as well. This one allows you to report
without being asked a lot of questions. To go to the tool that allows you
to report in a more annon way click
here. |
| Disturbing Noise,
Parties Dogs and Loud Music Having
a party? Be polite and considerate! Most
people in this town try to be good neighbors when it comes to noise and amplified
music. A few however have either limited consideration for their neighbors or
are just poor in manners. The Los Banos
Police department is very helpful when there are noise disturbances, however minor,
that tend to interrupt the quiet enjoyment of other Los Banos Property Owners
and residents. To that end there are
two very helpful city ordinances that the police department enforces.
Even when the disturbance does not rise to the level of a crime per-se the Los
Banos Police Department is very good about convincing those who are being too
loud to keep things down . A real
good rule of thumb is that if you can hear your music / party inside your neighbors
property you are being too loud. If
your dog is barking more than a couple of yaps perhaps your animal is a nuisance
to your neighbors. See
this official site on barking dogs in Los Banos. Also see this page for Animal
Control The real key is simply polite
consideration and respect. You might not find a loud party or a barking
dog offensive, but your neighbors certainly do. Not only is it against good common
sense to disturb those around you,but it is also against the law.
It is a really good idea to respect ALL of your neighbors by being as conservative
as possible by turning the amplifier down, keeping the windows or garage door
closed when your radio is on, and keeping your animals inside if they can not
handle being quiet outside. If all of
our citizens would respect each other in this manner it would go a long way toward
making Los Banos a friendly and happy community for everyone. For
those that will not respect each others right to quiet enjoyment of their property,
a call to the police department might just help and is encouraged by your neighbors
and other property owners. . |
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Child Molesters & Sex Offender Registrants
You
owe it to your children to check out your neighbors & associates! Sadly,
like most towns, Los Banos has a number of sexual offenders living here. At Our
Los Banos .com we are VERY big believers in knowing your neighbors and the
employees of businesses you frequent. We
strongly encourage Los Banos Residents to visit the
California Sex Offender Registration Website on a quarterly basis.
You will be surprised at who you know that pops up on this
thing. It could be the quiet old man across the street, the sweet young dude
who lives a block from the school, the guy that works at the grocery store or
even your mechanic. DO
GO TO THIS SITE. DO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS!
We STRONGLY recommend that you use the link below and go to the Megan's Law Sex
Registrant Website. When you visit you should do the ZIPCODE SEARCH using zipcode
93635 so that you can see ALL of the registrants in Los Banos and NOT just those
who are required to make public their actual street address. It is much more complete
if you use the zipcode option. The
site will show you photographs and map coordinates for registered offenders and
it will give you some details on their offense usually using penal
code numbers which can be looked up here.
Meagan's
Law Sex Registrant & Child Molester Site Put in ZIPCODE 93635 USE
IT! | |
GANGS
Prevent,
report, and take an active roll. Gang
activity in Los Banos is being seen more often than it should be and the police
are active in activities to prevent or suppress it. However as citizens each one
of us can have an important role to play in making sure that criminal gang members
are excluded from our city. There should be no hesitation to legal citizen involvement
- in fact there are a lot of pluses. Gang
activity can bring property values down, create an atmosphere of fear, and of
course gang activity brings with it crime that not only touches gang members but
flows over onto the general population in many forms including property crime
such as thefts and burglaries, personal crimes such as robbery and assault, and
even on rare occasions even home invasions or murder. One
of the most important things that a community can do to to prevent gang activity
is to kill it from the cradle. To this end PARENTS must become serious and get
deeply involved in their children's lives. There are no excuses for not becoming
involved and proactive in your children's lives. Even if you are forced to commute
100 miles each way all week long, you MUST take the time to talk to your kids
and ASK the tough questions. Find out who their friends are and even if you are
over the hill know where they are and expect accountability from them at all times. One
particularly good resource that we have found for parents who are in Los Banos
is this booklet
on Criminal Gang Activity. It is put out by The Crime and Violence Prevention
Center California Attorney General’s Office and consists of 62 pages of very interesting
reading about this important topic. The subject of gang activity is dealt with
from the ground up everything from defining a gang to detailing how parents can
support their children and help them to make proper and correct choices with regard
to involvement with the fringes of our society that try to make names for themselves
by affiliating with fellow thugs. The
Los Banos Police Department has published this
webpage about Gang Problems and potential solutions. |
This part of the OurLosBanos.com website
is curently being researched. More to come! In the meantime: Emergency
Services Fire, Police, and Emergency Medical Services
(EMS) can be summoned by dialing 911. - Police
Department - 945 5th Street Los Banos Non emergencies (209) 827-7070
- Merced County Sheriff in Los Banos -
(209) 710-6000
Community Law Enforcement - (209) 827-4357 - California
Highway Patrol - 706 West Pacheco Blvd. 209-826-3811
- City
Fire Department - 333 7th Street Los Banos City Non emergency - (209)
827-7025
- Merced County Fire Department Local
Non Emergency - (209) 826-2895
- State of Ca
Forestry & Fire Protection 31011 W Gonzaga Rd 209-826-4233
- City
Animal Control - 945 5th Street Non Emergency - (209) 827-7070 ext. 252
- County
Animal Control - 209- 385-7436
- Memorial
Hospital Los Banos - (209) 826-0591
520 West "I" Street Los Banos,
CA 93635
Police & Law Enforcement Crime
in Los Banos is not terribly high, in fact the crime rate has been decreasing
over the last few years according to authorities. Still,
like any other American city, Los Banos is graced with the unpleasant
company of some antisocial or criminal misfits that would do unto others things
they would be unwilling to have done unto themselves.
The general population however is, for the most
part, intolerant of criminal activity and through a number of city wide programs
and individual vigilance crime is kept to levels that most town our size would
be proud of. Major crime and arrests were reportedly
down again in 2005. On February 14th 2006, Our local Newspaper, The Los Banos
Enterprise quotes the police commander as saying "Major crime in Los Banos
fell from 1,642 incidents in 2004 to 1,313 in 2005, according to yearly crime
statistics released by the police department in early February." According
to then mayor Mayor Michael Amabile in his State of the City 2006 address "public
safety always will be our number one priority. In fact, 51 percent of our general
fund is allocated to police and fire operations annually and in 2005 we increased
our public safety budget by half a million dollars". So Los Banos is quite
serious on a governmental level. Citizens are
also proactive in crime prevention. There are a number of programs that citizens
can become involved with in order to help our town keep crime to an absolute minimum.
There is of course Neighborhood Watch where citizen can according to the
Los Banos Neighborhood Watch Website "familiarize themselves with the
activities of their neighborhood by, knowing who works during the day, which automobiles
belong where, recognizing people who belong in the area, and noting those who
do not. This basic knowledge, together with a few precautions, will prevent many
crimes in our city." Los Banos also has
what is known as a Citizen's Police Academy where citizens can take a series of
courses that allows them to understand what the Los Banos police department does.
This includes such things as an arrest procedures course, a driving course, and
a dispatch course. This is NOT to be confused with a PC 832 course or any other
'real' police courses, it is mostly just a familiarization as I understand the
concept. Official Police reserve officers who
HAVE done a PC832 series are also part of the Los Banos police department These
are your fellow citizens who go through many hours of training and though they
hold down regular jobs they are also active peace officers as needed by the city.
There is also a very active contingent of citizens
volunteers who work inside the police department in various positions helping
with any number of interesting projects. Along
with the well defined programs listed above, all citizens in the city are encouraged
to become involved in reporting when they see or suspect criminal activity. In
addition to taking personal responsibility for safety and security in their own
homes many residents of Los Banos also take the time to be VERY aware of what
is going on in their neighborhoods. Residents watch for and report potential criminal
activity including unusual behavior of outsiders, graffiti, poorly maintained
dwellings, or any other incidents or actions of people that just do not feel right.
The police department supports citizens who call in suspicious activity or crimes
and will investigate or send a unit if the situation allows. The
police department emergency number is of course 911. The
non emergency phone number for the Los Banos Police department is 1-209-827-7070
Calling 911 The following Green Text
is excerpted off of a PDF
found on the Los Banos Police website: Should
I have called the Police? In most cases, "Yes."
Many people hesitate about calling the Police Department even when faced with
circumstances that, upon reflection, were highly suspicious. Some people think
they are "bothering" us, some are not sure what they are seeing, but
fortunately, only a few don't want to get involved. Use the following guide,
and your good common sense and judgment. There are highly trained and experienced
communications personnel at the other end of the line to ask questions and help
decide the right thing to do. For emergencies and crimes in progress, call us
on 9-1-1. Please use 209-827-7070 for non-emergency situations.
The following situations are inherently suspicious, and require your attention
and immediate action by calling 9-1- 1: Slow moving vehicles - Possible
"casing" for a future crime, especially, if traveling with lights off
at night, or if the course followed seems aimless and repetitive. This is suspicious
in any location, but particularly so near schools, playgrounds, parks, or in large
parking lots. Parked, occupied vehicles - Possible alcohol, narcotics,
or sex crime in progress, especially in out-of-the-way places.
Vehicles being loaded with valuable items - Possible burglary or theft,
especially in front of closed business, late
at night, or near an unoccupied residence. Abandoned, dirty, damaged
vehicle - Possible stolen vehicle. In any case, abandoned vehicles are neighborhood
blight and need to be tagged and removed.
Vehicle containing weapons - Possible weapons violation. Be sure to tell
police about the weapons. Persons attempting to enter a locked
vehicle - Possible auto theft/ auto
burglary in progress. If you see the window broken, almost a certain auto
burglary. Persons tampering with vehicle, or removing parts -
Possible auto tampering in progress, especially if late at night
Persons loitering near a vehicle - Possibly "casing" the vehicle before
breaking in to it. Business transactions;
sales, being conducted from vehicles - Possible narcotics transaction in progress,
or persons selling stolen goods, or conducting business without a license.
Persons being forced into vehicles - Possible kidnapping or domestic
violence in progress. Even if it appears to be parents dealing with a stubborn
or recalcitrant child, let us make the determination. Be sure to get the vehicle
description, license plate, and direction if the vehicle leaves by the time the
officer arrives.
Objects being thrown from vehicle - Possible dumping of contraband/ evidence/
littering Persons going door-to-door in residential area -
Possible casing for theft or burglary; especially so if any of the
people jump a fence or go into a back yard. It could also be a possible solicitation
licensing violation. If you can, keep track of any vehicles associated with
the people involved, and where they are. If anyone is rude, abusive, or threatening
to you, make it a 9-1-1 call.
Persons standing around
in front of residence or business - Possible casing for a future crime; lookout
for crime in progress. Forcing entry to residence or business
- Possible burglary in progress Non-resident going into back or
side yard - Possible burglary/ trespass in progress
Person(s) going in through window - If not a known resident, almost a certain
burglary in progress Person(s) running - Fleeing from a crime
Persons carrying property - Possible theft in progress Persons loitering
or acting in a strange or bizarre manner - Possible mental case/ under the
influence of alcohol or drugs/ or waiting to commit a crime. Heavy
human traffic coming and going to and from residence - Possible narcotic sales,
or prostitution activity, especially if persons are strangers
Person carrying any weapon or a concealed weapon -This is most likely a weapons
violation, or someone about to commit a more serious crime. Off-duty or undercover
police officers are specifically trained and experienced in keeping their weapons
concealed at all times, and as a rule, clip their badge on their belt next to
their weapon, use commercial holsters, and DO NOT keep weapons in their waistband.
BE SURE to tell dispatch where the weapon is being concealed, and what the person
is doing. Persons yelling, screaming, arguing, fighting - At the
very least, a disturbance and disorderly conduct; quite possibly another more
serious crime in progress (robbery, domestic violence, sexual assault). We'll
ask you if there are any weapons visible, or any injuries to the people involved.
If you see any of these activities, please don't hesitate and ask yourself
if you should be calling the police.
Time is
critical in each of these incidents. We need you to call 9-1-1 immediately!
If you choose to have your information remain confidential, we can do that.
With the exception of
DUI checkpoints which we find patently offensive and opine are not constitutional
we at OurLosBanos.com are HIGHLY supportive of our local police department
and we have had great results with them the few times that we have utilized their
services. From what we saw they were professional, caring, and generally helpful.
We encourage the citizens of Los Banos to support
the police officers in what is a very difficult job. And hey.... next time
you see a Los Banos cop at the local burger place or (dare I say it) donut shop,
why not pick up his tab for him as a way to say THANK YOU from the community.
Failing that, at least walk up and tell him or her "Thank You" for their
service. Please also visit the
Los Banos Police Department
website. |  |