Sheriff’s Deputies to Meet With Residents

In September it was a stabbing that brought police to the Conejo Creek neighborhood. In November, a shooting.

Concerned that violence could be escalating in a neighborhood long plagued by gang activity, sheriff’s deputies are visiting the condominium community today hoping to work with residents to stop the crime.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., representatives from the crime prevention unit, the gang unit, the bicycle patrol and Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS) will answer questions and talk to residents--in Spanish and English--about how to phone in anonymous tips, ways to make their Neighborhood Watch more effective.

“It’s a constant effort, trying to educate [residents],” said Sgt. Jeff Matson, who is in charge of the crime prevention unit.

The neighborhood of more than 400 homes is culturally diverse. Many of the residents rent their homes, while others own their condominiums. The community has a Neighborhood Watch group, but the group has no leader.

For now, his unit is running the program, which encourages neighbors to watch out for each other and report suspicious activity to the police.

The session at the west end of Calle Diamonte, next to the pool, comes in response to the two recent violent incidents.

The stabbing, in the 600 block of Paseo La Perla, resulted in minor injuries to two juveniles, whose names were not released. No one was hurt in the shooting, in the 1600 block of Calle Diamonte. However, both incidents were gang related and occurred after verbal confrontations.