SAOHOA

I am Lieutenant John Bonomo, the Area 2 Commander for the City of Arcadia. I’m excited to move forward into 2025, and I look forward to continuing our community partnership. The police department’s message of “See Something, Say Something” has been a constant in all the messages I put out to our Area 2 residents, and I am happy to have so much involvement with all of you who reach out to me. Never hesitate to report any suspicious behavior you see. I would much rather be proactively addressing matters that seem out of the norm than sending officers out because you’ve been victimized by crime. 

I’m certain residential burglaries are at the top of your neighborhood concerns list. And while we have had some in Area 2, the number is less than other parts of the City. I attribute this to the regular communication I have with our neighborhood watch groups and the HOA safety committees. Your phone calls to the police department and emails to me help keep suspicious incidents investigated by our police officers and patrols directed to areas that appear to be targeted by criminals. My hope is to make this number smaller and smaller through our proactive efforts to deter it. As we progress forward, my message to you is to stay vigilant, report suspicious activity and vehicles in your neighborhood. Familiarize yourself with your neighbors, share when you’ll be out of town, so you have a second set of eyes on your home. Set up vacation patrols with the police department so we know you’re away. 

I have included some prevention tips to help safeguard your homes, which I have included before and firmly stand behind. 

PREVENTION TIPS:

· When you’re away, make it look like you are home. Consider leaving lights, a television or radio on.

· If you have an alarm, turn it on when you leave.

· Install surveillance cameras. Many residents have a camera at their front

door. We would also recommend additional cameras on the side and rear of your residence.

· Consider using a window or door stop/pin or place something in the window/door track to prevent it from sliding open.

· Secure side gates with a heavy-duty lock.

· Don’t allow mail or newspapers to stack up. If you plan to be away for some time, arrange for a trusted person to collect these items, or have the services stopped until you return.

· Know your neighbors and their vehicles, report suspicious persons/vehicles.

· Consider installing a safe to secure valuable items. If you choose to install a safe, make sure it is properly secured to prevent thieves from taking the whole safe containing your valuables.

· Many of our recent burglaries target master/primary bedrooms. Consider storing valuables in another location in your home.

· There are companies who sell a film you can affix to a sliding glass door or window, that will hold the glass intact, deterring a criminal from gaining access if they attempt to shatter the door or window.

· Report door to door solicitors. Regardless of looking official or not, solicitors are required to have a city business license, and we can verify that information upon contact.

It’s my honor to serve as your Area 2 commander. Please reach out to me if you have questions or concerns. My regular workdays are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and every other Thursday, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. You’re also welcome to email me 24/7, and I will respond as soon as practicable.

 John Bonomo, Lieutenant Arcadia Police Department

 626.574.5156 |  626.447.6581 |

 jbonomo@arcadiaca.gov

Due to the increasing bear population in our foothill communities, encounters with bears have become frequent.  Reports of bear sightings in the Santa Anita Oaks area have been occurring almost daily. Bears have overturned garbage cans, damaged property, swam in private pools, and ate koi from ponds, leading residents to feel increasingly fearful of venturing into their own backyards.

In response, the safety committee, along with 21 members of the Santa Anita Oaks Homeowners Association (SAOHOA), attended the Arcadia City Council meeting on July 16 to address the issue of bear encroachment in our community. The City Council agreed to establish a bear task force to seek solutions.

The bear task force is led by City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto and Deputy City Manager Justine Bruno. It includes members of the SAOHOA Safety Committee, representatives from the Highland Oaks HOA, and other representatives from the Police and Public Works Department. The task force met four times over the summer, with presentations from Waste Management and the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Discussions revealed that the increasing number of bears in our neighborhood is largely due to the food sources and shelter our community provides. Trash cans, fruit from trees, and fish from koi ponds attract bears, while vacant homes offer them shelter. Potential remedies to address these issues include:

1. Order Bear-Resistant Trash Cans [Order Form] to eliminate accessible food sources. The cost of a bear-resistant cart is $308.08, with no additional monthly fee for handling. Please mail or email the completed form to: City of Arcadia| Public Works Department with address on top of the form.
2. Report Vacant Homes and Bear Incidents to the City of Arcadia to notify property owners of potential denning on their property.  Call or email to the Code Service Division [Report Empty Home Here]
3. Report Bear Incidents to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW): [Report Bear Incidence Here]. Reporting all incidents is crucial, as it helps the CDFW identify potentially dangerous bears (habituated bears) that may require trapping and relocation. Increasing the tracking, tagging and radio-collaring of bears to identify habituated bears will only happen if you file enough reports to CDFW. For a better understanding of how  to co-exist with bears, the presentation from CDFW was recorded and is available for viewing.   
4. Report Bear Incidents to the City of Arcadia.  This is important for tracking bear encounters in our neighborhood. [Bear Reporting Form – Arcadia]

The Santa Anita Oaks HOA Safety Committee recommends that every household in our community order at least one bear-resistant trash can, or more if needed. If you return a trash can you no longer use to Waste Management, there will be no additional service fees.

If you encounter bear incidents, please report them to both the City of Arcadia and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The more reports received, the more action can be taken. 

Please note that the Santa Anita Oaks HOA will no longer handle bear-related issues or complaints. Instead, contact Justine Bruno directly at the City of Arcadia via email at jbruno@arcadiaca.gov.

We also extend our gratitude to every resident involved in addressing the challenges posed by bears in our community.