The focus must also be on restructuring the current compensation model so that the City pays only what it can afford. As a service delivery organization, personnel is the largest cost factor in the operating budget. Compensating employees for a job well done, as opposed to how long they have been employed, is a sound financial model to follow. All current labor contracts expire no later than the 2012-13 fiscal year. All future budget projections regarding labor costs are based on pension cost sharing and reasonable merit salary increases.
[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department’s Neighborhood Watch Report for December 12-14 – Brad Haugaard]
During the last seven-day period, December 8-14, 2011, the Police Department handled 496 service events, resulting in 96 investigations.
On December 13 at 8:23 p.m., two residential burglaries were reported that occurred on a lot in the 500 block of West Maple. In both cases, the unknown suspect(s) gained entry by prying open the rear door of the residence. The front house was ransacked and jewelry was stolen. There was minor ransacking in the back house, but nothing was taken.
On December 14 at 2:37 a.m., police received a call reporting a mountain lion in the 800 block of East Lemon. Officers responded and found an adult mountain lion, possibly a female, in a yard in the 800 block of East Lemon. It appeared to have an open wound next to its left eye. The officers fired two beanbag rounds, which motivated the mountain lion to move back into the hills.
On December 14 at 2:56 p.m., Monrovia Special Enforcement Team officers on patrol stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. This encounter led to the officers conducting a search of the vehicle, which revealed hidden drug contraband under the pad of a child seat. The driver was arrested and booked for numerous drug violations.
On December 14 at 5:51 p.m., police responded to Mckinley Place and Foothill regarding a stolen vehicle. The victim reported that he parked his vehicle on the street. When he returned to where he had parked it, the vehicle was not there and he could not find his keys. The vehicle is a white, two-door, Lexus SC300. Investigation continuing.
On December 14 at 6:12 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 700 block of East Central on the report of a stolen vehicle. The theft occurred between 6:45 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. The victim parked and locked his vehicle on the street and went into work for the day. When he returned at the end of the day, his vehicle was missing. The vehicle is a black, 2004, Chevy Silverado pickup truck. The victim reported that there was an unloaded handgun in the vehicle at the time it was stolen, but there was no ammunition in the truck. Investigation continuing.
I do believe that Monrovia responded faster and with more resources than any other agency affected by the windstorms. We kept field crews working all night, staffed the main City Hall switchboard so that folks could actually have a live person to talk to, and constantly updated all of our various media. Augmented by community members, such as our CERT volunteers and local contractor Steve Pokrajac's heavy equipment crews, Monrovia's clean-up efforts have been accelerated greatly!
