Sierra Madre News Net logo image and link to News Net home page

A Sierra Madre Community Information Website,

designed, developed, maintained and sponsored by The Coburn Group

More than 4,000 pages of Sierra Madre info, photos and video archives. 

The net might not catch everything, but the fishing's half the fun, right?

  

"I check two things every morning, your website and the

Wall Street Journal." --  V.E., Sierra Madre

Sierra Madre News Net is online only, we are not affiliated with the

Sierra Madre News print media, old or new

Now in our Thirteenth Year Covering Sierra Madre!!

This site is optimized for newer versions of Internet Explorer.  For best  results, use Internet Explorer.  There will be less scrolling if you set your display resolution at 1024 x 768

Multiple Award Winning Website

To get on the News Net e-mail list and receive notices of updates, click here, then click send.  We don't give away (or sell) your address, and notices are sent bcc: to protect your privacy

Home of

SierraMudre.Info

SierraMadreNewsNet.Blogspot.com

SierraMadreCalendar.Info

MtWilsonTrailRace.com

SierraMadre4thofJuly.us

SierraMadreRoseFloat.us

SMVolunteers.Info

SierraMadreWistariaFestival.com

Community Calendar SierraMadreCalendar.Info

Submit your event for the calendar here

SierraMadreNewsNet Blog - Care to share your thoughts?

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, just click on the link:   

Contact Us - Drop us a line and let us know what you think of the site

2010 Archives

2009 Archives

2008 Archives

2007 Archives

2006 Archives

2005 Archives 2004 Archives 2003 Archives 2002 Archives 2001 Archives 2000 Archives 1999 Archives 1998  Archives

Sierra Madre Local Business Web Pages

Sierra Madre Business Directory

Mountain Views News   Pasadena Star News Sierra Madre Patch Sierra Madre Weekly Sierra Madre Chamber Calendar

SierraMadreNews.Net on Facebook
Inside the News Net

Sierra Madre Business Web Pages  ($125/year, with dedicated domain name, add $50 - Sierra Madre businesses only)


Premium Advertiser Web Pages  ($250/year, with dedicated domain name, add $50 - non-Sierra Madre businesses allowed, includes premium link placement and logo)

**************

*************

 

Annual Sierra Madre Events

Arts in Sierra Madre

Sierra Madre Business

Community of Sierra Madre

Sierra Madre Real Estate

The Rest of the News Net


Local Business Web Pages

A Better Nanny

A+ Construction

Amperage Electric

Angels Everywear

Arnold's Frontier Hardware & Gifts

Bank of the West

Best Buy Drugs

Bill Traxler's Pool Service

Body Shop Private Fitness Studio

Cafe 322

Carmen Thibault, Sotheby's International Realty

Casa Del Rey Restaurant

Rambo, Century 21 Village Realty

E. Waldo Ward and Son

Epiphany California Realty

Four Seasons Tea Room

Gem Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning

Gwen Gordon, Fine Art/Graphic Design Solutions

Hands 2 Health Wellness Center, Dr. Teresa Smith, Chiropractor

Harlequin Art Gallery and Restoration

Highlander Jr. Market

Iris Intrigue

Janette Ledea, Tri-City ReMax

Joe Feeney Painting

Julia Rocks, Prof. Skin Care

Leonora Moss

The Louie Lucero Team

Lucky Baldwin's Delirium Pub

Mailbox & Postal

Moe's Automotive Service Center

Once Upon A Time

Real Estate Photography

Redstone Commercial Real Estate

Reni Rose, Prudential CA Realty

Rotary Club of Sierra Madre

Ruth Richardson, Fine/Portrait Artist

Savor the Flavor

Sierra Fitness

Sierra Madre Farmer's Market

Sierra Madre Grocery Company

Sierra Madre Homes For Sale

Sierra Madre Playhouse

Sierra Madre Self Storage

The Bottle Shop

The Coburn Group

The Destination Group

The Shabby Dog

Tres Immune, Inc.

Village Pizzeria

Webb-Martin Realtors

 

False Alarm Brings Out SMPD Weapons, Potentially Dangerous Behavior 

Friday, October 24, 2008

Shortly after 4:30pm this afternoon, members of SMPD responded to a panic-hold up robbery alarm at Charlotte's Jewelry at 40 N. Baldwin Ave. which did not reset.  SMPD had to respond as if an armed robbery was taking place.  It was a false alarm and they did not realize that it had gone off.  The owner assumed it was triggered while cleaning.  Customers at Beantown, Village Pizza and other area stores were cleared out, as officers were responding with rifles at the ready.  Complicating the operation was the fact that the Halloween window painting was going on downtown, meaning lots of extra kids in the area.  For some reason, kids and parents alike failed to recognize the gravity of the situation, and many made no effort to get out of harm's way and to allow the officer's to do their job.  At the south end of the operation, I noticed one adult standing within a few feet of the officer responding, with two kids next to him that appeared to be under the age of ten, and he made no effort to take the kids out of a potentially very dangerous situation (see video).  In preparing this story, I contacted Capt. Larry Giannone of SMPD, who suggested I might encourage my readers to be a little more aware of the circumstances in the future.  I thought his message was important enough to publish it as I received it.  Here's what he had to say.  "One of the things you can put out if you are going to write something about this or this type of activity is to tell your readers that when officers are in a situation where their weapons are drawn, our focus is on the event and the safety of those around it.  We had several kids following one of the officers while he was trying to (get) into a safe position and focusing on the business and asking “what is going on”.  One lady actually came up and interrupted me while I was directing the units who were surrounding the building.  She asked me what was going on and if she should get the children out of the area.  I would just urge the readers when they see something like this to use common sense and get out of the way, get to a safe place, have others get to safe place, and please do not interrupt the officers to ask “what is going on”.  If our weapons are drawn it is for a reason.  We know people are curious and we are always happy to answer those questions once the situation is done and weapons are put away.  This also goes to the other day when our pursuit was taking place.  (Editor's note - see article at top of next column). People kept calling the police desk and just asking what was going on and why the helicopter was circling.  This really distracts the desk officer from his or her duties.  In cases like this, the one or two desk officers that may be on are overwhelmed for a brief period of time dealing with the emergency at hand and other emergencies that may be coming in. Once again, common sense safety is lock your doors and stay inside until the helicopter leaves.  Then if you want to call the desk to see if it is OK to open the doors or leave your residence we will be happy to give the caller some direction at that time.  I just want to stress if you have an emergency or crime problem at hand by all means call us…if you just want to know what is going on we are happy to answer the citizens' questions with any information that we can release to the public, but would really like to do so when things are calmed down and we have adequate time to deal with the public appropriately..."

Video

 

Copyright © 1998 - 2011 by The Coburn Group, Sierra Madre. All logos, trademarks or product names mentioned or displayed herein are the property of their respective owners. All photographs and videos on this site Copyright 1998 - 2011, by Bill Coburn, Sierra Madre, CA unless otherwise noted Any reference to the City of Sierra Madre or Sierra Madre applies to the community of Sierra Madre and not the city government. The City of Sierra Madre, California government is not affiliated with Sierra Madre News.Net at this time. Any city government information provided herein has been previously published for public dissemination and is shown here as a public service of Sierra Madre News.Net without explicit permission of the government of the City of Sierra Madre.