West L.A. Division Captain Evangelyn Nathan spoke to a group of about 30 residents about the recent burglary arrests in the community at a special press conference on Tuesday at the Palisades Recreation Center front lawn. ’We’d like to bring focus to the three arrests and the strong connection between the community and police,’ said Nathan, who also took questions from the audience. On August 11, in the early morning hours, the security alarm went off in a home located in the 600 block of Alma Real. According to Nathan, police officers arriving at the scene saw a man wearing black clothing and a ski mask in the home. Additional police officers responded to the scene. After resisting arrest, the suspect, Kim Ray Turner, 44, was arrested for burglary and for possession of burglary tools. Turner is a registered sex offender and was wanted for violation of his parole in Nevada. According to resident Lynn Borland, who reported the story for the Palisadian-Post (‘Burglar Caught in Alma Real Residence’) there were about 15 patrol cars at the location plus an air unit and an LAPD canine vehicle. Although Palisades residents were grateful for the response, a few wondered about the number of police called to arrest one suspect. ’When we initially responded, we didn’t know if the homeowners were in the home, hiding in a closet,’ Nathan explained. ‘We also didn’t know if there were other suspects we didn’t see.’ Nathan explained that one of the first things the police do in a situation like that one is to set up an inner perimeter and then an outer perimeter, which requires additional officers. Palisades Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore told the Tuesday gathering that the suspect had said he was watching the house and noticed that lights were not on in the residence at the usual time. ’The residents were not at home and did everything right, they locked their house and set the alarm,’ said Moore, who noted that an additional burglar prevention step would be to put house lights on a timer if a resident is going on vacation or planning to be gone. ‘Video is also invaluable to detectives and night-vision capability is helpful.’ The second arrest was made on August 15 near the intersection of Sunset and El Medio, following the attempted burglary of a home on Enchanted Way in Marquez Knolls. The two suspects, Todd Jerry, 44, and Joshua Afi Ferdman, 24, both have priors for burglary and narcotics and were called career criminals by Nathan. They are currently in jail. Nathan praised the homeowner on Enchanted Way who thought the men were acting suspiciously and called 911, leading to their capture. ‘The resident felt that something was not right and called 911.’ Nathan was asked about one resident’s concern that the capture happened with guns drawn across the street from where Palisades High students were waiting for a bus, as well as a few confused motorists in the middle of the intersection. ’Generally, the air unit selects a location where it won’t jeopardize the community,’ Nathan said. ‘We also send police officers to establish a safety zone.’ Nathan was pleased to report that Police Chief Charlie Beck is ‘bonusing me more officers in West Los Angeles.’ She will gain an additional 17 officers, but when asked if that meant there would be more police presence in the Palisades, she said that coverage here will remain the same: Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore and a dedicated 24/7 patrol car, plus monitoring by an air support unit and West Traffic officers. But more officers should mean fewer outside demands on the dedicated patrol car. Nathan was asked the response time in both burglary incidents. ‘About 10 minutes,’ she said, and then also thanked Palisades Patrol. '[CEO] Scott Wagenseller has made his facilities available to us and we think of them as partners,’ Nathan said. The Park Advisory Board is also working to create a small office space in the large gym at the Palisades Recreation Center, which would allow police to file their reports (without having to return to their West L.A. station) and have access to facilities. Moore urged residents to continue to partner with the police and report suspicious activity. ‘The important thing is to use gut instinct. Don’t overthink it,’ he said. ‘Don’t talk yourself out of making a call to the police.’ Norman Kulla, Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s northern district director, also praised the work of LAPD motor officer Christopher Smythe. ‘He has written almost a 100 citations to motorcycle riders [in this area] and I understand the behavior is much improved,’ Kulla said.
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