NBPD Crime Prevention & Safety
Thanks to NBPD’s Crime Prevention Specialist, we now have a comprehensive resource at our fingertips that addresses home and vehicle safety and security and so much more.
Be sure to check out this important resource to find ways to protect your family, your home and your possessions.
Flock Cameras (License Plate Readers)
Our thanks to Councilmember Lauren Kleiman (D6)
for providing the following report on the Flock Security Camera Project.
I am pleased to bring you several important updates on public safety as my City Council colleagues and I work to make Newport Beach an even safer community.
This spring the Newport Beach Police Department (NBPD) welcomed a new Deputy Chief, Javier Aquilar, to further boost the skills and experience of its command staff. Deputy Chief Aguilar is a veteran officer and leader who has worked with the Vernon and Pasadena police departments in a variety of roles over a 30-year career. In Newport Beach he now oversees the patrol and traffic divisions.
In May 2024, the City Council gave informal approval to a number of recommendations to improve crime prevention and investigation techniques through upgrades in technology.
The recommendations were put forward by the Public Safety Technology Ad Hoc Committee, on which I was proud to serve. The committee spent several months evaluating new technologies used by neighboring police departments and visited agencies where some of the proposed technologies are utilized.
These recommendations include:
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- Developing a Crime Information Center (CIC) to serve as the central technology hub for real-time intelligence gathering and assessments. The CIC would integrate new technologies with existing data systems to provide real-time information to field officers, analyze crime trends and patterns, and aid in crime prevention.
- Installing 70 Flock Safety cameras (also known as ALPR, or automatic license plate readers) at all Newport Beach inbound and outbound gateways. The system includes access to nationwide data and flags “hot-listed” vehicles that have been used in crimes. The system provides alerts on stolen vehicles, Amber Alerts, missing and endangered persons, and more. The cameras will only be accessed as part of a crime investigation (not for traffic enforcement) and do not include facial recognition. Such cameras are already in use in 42 states and nearly 300 California jurisdictions.
- Licensing FUSUS software to boost the department’s access to video surveillance. FUSUS brings together video feeds from private, institutional and government systems, and integrates them into a single, cloud-based platform. Investigations can proceed more quickly because private video feeds can be accessed immediately, rather than gathered from various locations. Participation is voluntary, meaning businesses, homeowners’ associations or private residents who wish to include their cameras in the system must opt in to provide access.
- The NBPD will acquire aerial drones and develop a program to monitor and investigate active threats. The City will continue to partner with Huntington Beach for the use of helicopter services as needed.
I look forward to continuing to provide our community updates on public safety and other priorities in our City.
Mail Theft – Your Identity & Your Money
Thieves target residential curbside mailboxes, multi-unit residential mailboxes, and publicly accessible blue U.S. Postal Service boxes in an attempt to collect your personal information, checks, and cash. They typically work in the late night and early morning hours.
Recently, we have seen numerous thefts involving publicly accessible US Postal Service drop boxes where thieves are using glue traps or glue-covered items to “fish” for mail. They use the victim’s personal information to open lines of credit, commit other crimes, or to sell to other criminals. The thieves also alter and forge checks, then cash the checks and pocket the money.
To protect yourself from becoming a victim of mail theft:
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- Collect your mail daily, preferably, as soon as it is delivered.
- Avoid mailing any item containing your personal information, checks, or cash.
- If you must mail those items, avoid placing them in residential mailboxes or publicly accessible US Postal Service drop boxes, especially if they show signs of tampering, such as a sticky substance on or around the mail slot.
- Instead, hand mail to US Postal Service employees or use a secure US Postal Service Facility.
If you suspect you are the victim of mail theft, contact your financial institution and secure your account immediately. Then, call and report the crime to the Newport Beach Police Department.
For additional tips to help keep you safe, visit the U.S. Postal Inspection Service website at uspis.gov.
Distraction Theft – Be vigilant of your surroundings “Situational Awareness”
Here are some recommendations for practicing situational awareness and deterring pickpockets:
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- As you go about your daily tasks, pay attention to the people, objects, vehicles and events happening around you.
- Limit distractions whenever possible.
- Be aware when you are approached by a stranger or when someone gets into your personal space.
- Trust your instincts if someone or something is making you uncomfortable.
- Lock your vehicle whenever you step outside of it – even if you will be standing nearby (i.e. fueling up at the gas station, etc.). Remember that it just takes a split second while your back is turned for someone to grab your purse, wallet, cell phone or other valuables.
- Never leave your keys in the ignition when you are not in the car. Take them out of the vehicle and lock your car whenever you exit your vehicle.
- Valuables should be stored either where you can keep an eye on them or where they cannot be easily seen or accessed by others.
- Whenever you are out and about, remember to not lose sight of your personal belongings.
Finally, you can help prevent incidents like this from happening to others by passing this information along to your family, friends & neighbors. You may not find yourself in a situation with a pickpocket or scammer, but there’s a chance that you know someone who will – if they haven’t already.
