LYNWOOD — City Council members and residents who attended Tuesday night’s City Council meeting were treated to a brief presentation by Capt. James Hellmold of the Century Sheriff’s Station on Lynwood’s year-end crime statistics, numbers he describes as “unprecedented.”

“We just got the numbers from the Department of Justice,” Hellmold said. “And we are happy to share with the public that the numbers are at historic lows in every category of crime. Homicides are lowest since 1985. Armed robberies are at an all-time low. Assaults with a firearm are at an all-time low. We’ve surpassed even last year’s statistics. … The numbers are unprecedented.”

Not only do the numbers cap off 25 years, but they also are a great way to start a new decade, said Hellmold in a brief interview Wednesday afternoon.

Captain of the Lynwood-based Sheriff’s Station for about three years, Hellmold and his deputies will be hosting a second annual appreciation dinner for Lynwood Block Watch Captains, community leaders and elected officials next Tuesday to not only celebrate the low numbers, but to thank them for a partnership Hellmold credits the low numbers to.

In the middle of signing off on the deployment of Century Station deputies to assist in flood areas on Wednesday, along with one lieutenant [per shift], Hellmold was eager to talk about the partnership between the station and residents of Lynwood.

“Sheriff [Lee] Baca has a philosophy on public trust policing,” said Hellmold, referring to his motto of working with the communities he and his deputies serve. “It’s about engaging the community rather than having an adversarial relationship with the community. It’s about having all of us take ownership of our community … and it’s about people in the community who are assertive in taking care of their community.”

In 2000, homicides were at 12. In 2009, that number is two, the lowest number in current record history according to Department of Justice statistics dating back to 1985.

In 2000, assaults with a firearm numbered 212. In 2009, that number was 139.
Ten years ago rapes were at 28; 2009 ended with 11, another lowest number in current recorded history according to statistics.

Burglaries at the end of 2009 were at 298, but it’s still a low number compared to 2000’s 479.

Auto thefts appear to still be on the high end, with 670 topping off 2009, compared to 649 back in 2000.

Upon inheriting the captain’s title, Hellmold said the biggest crimes in the city were burglaries and violent crimes with a firearm. Those numbers, he said, have decreased dramatically.

Still, he said, he’s very mindful and cautious about saying “we’re done with our work … because we’re not. It’s an ongoing effort,” he said about keeping the numbers low.

While he is proud of the low crime statistics and of the accomplishments, he said he knows things can change.

“We consistently hear from residents who have lived in Lynwood for years that they’ve never experienced Lynwood this safe,” Hellmold said. “But I don’t like to necessarily claim victory. I mean we are proud of the accomplishments, but things can change.”

Hellmold credits residents for having zero tolerance of crime on their blocks, but he also credits a City Council that is proactive in keeping the city safe, and council members who consider kicking crime out of their city a priority. Along with the high contract the city pays for the Sheriff’s Department’s services, the city has purchased at least 30 real-time surveillance cameras that line most of the city’s major thoroughfares that are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week by deputies at the Century Station. The cameras are in addition to several other technological advances, including a gunshot detector, that the Sheriff’s Department is using to combat crime throughout the county.

In entering a new decade with these numbers, Hellmold said, he’s certain the city will attract big-box retailers.

Hellmold is correct, said Deborah Jackson, director of Neighborhood Services. Jackson has been charged with overseeing the quality of life throughout the community for a few years now and has seen firsthand the changes the cameras have brought, not only to the crime statistics, but to residents and how they feel about their safety, and about how they feel about the Sheriff’s Department’s presence in the city.

In terms of helping people feel safer, the cameras have a lot to do with it, she said. And in terms of attracting bigger businesses to the city, the cameras will help there, too, she added.

“That’s a big incentive when you’re trying to reach out to big businesses,” Jackson said about talking to people about the cameras, and being able to boast about low-crime stats.

Still in all her years at the city, Jackson said the biggest difference she’s noticed has to do the relationship City Council members have with the Sheriff’s Department.

“The big thing today is that we have a new council that is very supportive of Capt. Hellmold,” she said. “And there’s a better working relationship between the city and [deputies]. They understand each other. The city understands what [deputies] need and [deputies] understand what the city needs.”

While every number on a crime statistical chart is disturbing, Hellmold said he is not tolerating deputies who give residents the impression that by calling deputies, that they are bothering them. There’s zero tolerance for that, he said.

“What is important to me, is that I don’t want people to think that they can’t rely on us,” he said. “That’s been one of the biggest things I’ve tried to address as captain. … I want people to know that they can call whenever about whatever. We want people to feel that this is their station. … We want people to take ownership of the Sheriff’s Department, because we work for them.”

While Lynwood isn’t the only city the Century Sheriff’s Station patrols, the numbers in Lynwood are dramatically lower than a lot of the surrounding areas, Hellmold said.

“I don’t like to name other cities, but I can tell you that our [Lynwood] crime statistics are significantly lower,” he said. “Whereas in the past, Lynwood used to be thought of as a dangerous and violent area, it’s been turned around and businesses are seeking to invest in the area.”

Even at the criminal level, Hellmold said he has seen the difference.

“Criminals know they can’t mess around with Lynwood,” Hellmold said. “We have several recorded interviews with criminals who have admitted that they knew not to mess around with Lynwood. … Everyone is welcome in this city, but at the same time, don’t commit crimes … because they’re not going to be tolerated.”

The same goes for every city the Sheriff’s Department patrols, Hellmold added.

The pilot surveillance camera program implemented in the city is being looked at as a huge success by other cities, the captain added.

Approving the funds for the surveillance system hasn’t been an easy decision for the council, considering the city’s current fiscal situation. But Mayor Maria Santillan believes the investment has been worth it.

“When crime is low, residents feel safer,” she said. “And they see the [deputies] around more, they see people being pulled over, their presence is greater now, and the cameras have helped. … I’m very happy that the Sheriff’s Department has seen the success of the program here in Lynwood, because we see it.

“Every time I get the opportunity to brag about the program to other council members from other cities, I do, because it feels great to be able to tell others that crime is at an all-time low in our city.”