OCR Text |
Show i USPSt325580 Keep up with the Times VOLUME 96 NO. 31 crime on GonmsMsii starung point for residents to give crime in Magna a going away party, but it's just fee beginning. By DEBBI OLSON Editor with Deputy J. Timpson Howdy! I am Deputy James Timpson; I work for the Salt Lake County Sheriffs Office as the Oriented Community Police Officer for the Magna area. I have been in this assignment for a little more than a year and thought to take this opportunity to introduce myself and the COP program, and inform you of programs, events and other happenings of interest in and around Magna and the West Salt Lake Valley JRiursd Contrary to folklore and reputation, Magna is not the crime infested area that many people like to perceive it as being. "Magna has more of a notorious reputation from its past than it has an actual crime problem," said Salt Lake "Following Night Out, there should be neighborhood events so that neighbors can get connected wife each other and that helps wipe out crime, Timpson said. "If there is continued commitment at the neighborhood level that gets people to start to think about crime, it has a great effect to keeping crime away. Two things Timpson said criminals don't like are lights and people. Criminals hate to be seen, criminals hate light and criminals hate to be caught, " Timpson said. "So the more you can create their ability to be seen and caught the more impact you can have in getting rid of them. In Magna some of fee top criminal offenses include auto bur County Sheriff Deputy James Timpson, and Magna's designated COP officer. "Theres not a rampant tidalwave of crime here that most people envision." Residents will put feat to the test on Monday, Aug. 4 during Magna's annual Night Out Against Crime celebration. Night Out will take place at Pleasant Green Park from 6 p.m. til dusk. Timpson said Night Out is a good glaries where items are taken out of vehicles, property theft where items are taken from yards and garages and drugs houses. "Most of the burglaries typically involve people trying to find things to sell so they can buy drugs, Timpson said. "Then there are the drug houses where fee drugs are used ard the people who are providing fee drugs. Also crimes that keep deputies busy are domestic violence issues and civil arguments between neighbors. 'In domestic iolence cases there are many things we can do to start to solve fee problem." Timpson said. In civil complaints, all we can do is act as facilitators to try and them into a gentleman's agreement on fee issue." Crime Statistics for June showed that Magna had 38 calls involving domestic violence, 83 calls for civ il disputes, and 55 calls of combined thefts from vehicles, yards and mailboxes. "Crime, in general, is pretty well distributed throughout fee valley, Timpson said. "Crime is every where, Magna has a reputation of being overrun w ife.it but it's not as rampant as the perceptions." Timpson said neighboring cities to Magna have as much crime though issues vary from area to area. "In Taylorsville you're going to have more traffic related incidences and vehicle feefts than m Magna because there are more people and more cars, Timpson said. "In Magna we have a little more juvenile crime because it have a younger population than older areas." Magna family unites to defend freedom area. - the Simply put, Oriented Community Policing Program, or COP, in intended to have officers work with and get to know community leaders and citizens and to solve problems in the community by locking for. solutions outside regular law enforcement 1 deal with things ranging from civil problems between neighbors to cleaning up problem houses in the community. I spend time in the schools visiting with and getting to know the students, I also handle the training of citizen groups like the Mobile and Neighborhood Watch programs. Today, I would like to get die word out about a fairly new and growing program being offered Lake Salt through abateCountys graffiti ment program called RESIDENT'S AGAINST GRAFFITI, or RAG. Not only does this program provide paint andor cleaning supplies to paint over or clean up graffiti for but also removal of graffiti on public property, like parks and street signs. The idea of the program .is get new graffiti removed as soon as possible, hopefully within 24 hours. It is important that graffiti be removed quickly so feat it doesnt draw more graffiti, gang and criminal type elements into fee area. Calls to report graffiti damage or in progress should go to dispatch to have an officer respond. Office Sheriffs is Dispatch RAG can be reached by F 2 or dialing for more information or how to get graffiti removal supplies or to volunteer to help clean up. I also have some supplies, paint and clean up chemicals, at my office in Magna, I can be reached by calling my pager, 743-700- 0, END-GRA- 468-218- (363-472- 3) 743-824- 5. I hope feat we can use this program to keep our neighborhoods, parks and fences clear of graffiti. Father and son, Don and Matt Sandberg are serving in the military together in Baghdad, Iraq. Above, Don says daughter Christiana before goodbye to his Matt out. Below, Sandberg in uniform. being shipped By SHELLI WITHING EDGLEY Special to the Magna Times Magna has a long and proud tradition of sending some of its best and brightest sons and daughters to defend its freedom in war. Don The Sandberg family is carrying on that tradition and has hunkered down for the duration of the Iraqi war and rebuilding in She has taken the reigns at home and is helping Don to support Steven, who is serving a mission, Katrina, who is State Utah attending University and three younger children at home. Iraq. is Cynthia Sandberg adjusting to her role as acting sole parent in Dons absence as she takes it day by day. Dons one consolation is that his eldest son Matthew is in him stationed wife Baghdad. "We do have lots of letters said expressing feelings, Letters help Cynthia. to keep fee family close and often express feelings that the family wouldn't say if they weren't home. "We take so much for granted," Cynthia said. A11 fee freedoms we think we are entitled to seem more precious. h T e said Sandberg family that they are glad to serve and defend the freedom enjoyed in the United States. They are also carrying on a tradition of serving their country begun by Don's father. Rex Don Sandberg served two years in the Korean war and came home to marry Grace Lefebvre. The couple have 12 children. Don's brother Bob is also m employed full ume in the National Guard. III Crime in Magna will get a going away party Monday as residents join together for fee annual Night Out Against Crime. On Monday, Aug. 4, neighborhoods throughout Magna are being invited to join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for fee twentieth annual National Night Out, crime and drug prevention event National Night Out which is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch is locally by Magna Area Council, the Magna Community Council, the Salt Lake County Fire Department and the Salt Lake Sheriff's County Department According to Magna Area Councilman Colin Douglas, National Night Out is to: Heighten crime designed and drug prevention aware generate support for, and participation in, local e efforts; strengthen neighborhood spirit and hoods throughout Magna and across the nation are asked to lock their doors, turn on out- partnerships; and send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. The Magna Night Out will begin at 6 p.m. af Pleasant Green Park From 6 p.m. to dark. evening outside with neighbors and police Typically, more than 4,000 people to come to this non- ness; anti-crim- police-communi- ty Pleasant Green Park, located next the fee Magna and Recreation Fitness Center on 8400 West, is a new location for fee annual Night Out party. Magna holds its Night Out event the day before for National Night Event so that it have have the participation of all the local and state agencies in displaying safety and crime prevention. During Night Out activities, residents in neighbor side lights and spend fee profit community event, which is free to fee community. Residents will have the opportunity to interact wife members of fee Sheriff's and fire departments as well as the Magna CERT and Mobile Watch groups. There will also be a variety of information booth to provide residents with ideas on how to keep themselves their and crime-fre- neighborhoods e. While children are invited to explore County fire trucks, there will be free refreshments, free giveaways and a variety of entertainment Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints in Australia is also a member of the Nauonal d Guard. Steven could be and sent to Baghdad within a month of his return within a few weeks. acu-vate- The Magna Times welcomes stories about residents serving in the military. To shaie stoi ies contact the editor at 250-565- 6 It II II Bv DEBBI OLSON Editor Going away party for crime Steven, who is serving a mission for the Church of With a population of 28,000 Magna may have just fee right demographics to form a sister city relationship with a small town in Japan. Next week officials from Yuzawa, Japan will be in Magna to meet wife local and county leaders to see if a cultural and business relationship can be forged between fee two towns. Yuzawa, wife a population of 10,000, initially looked to West Valley City as a Sister City option. We found there was a major problem with fee demographics of the two cities, said Gaylene Gandy, who has done foreign exchange programs with Intrax, a group the sets ap foreign exchange student visits. I suggested to them feat perhaps Magna would be a close demographic match-u- p with them and decided to look have they into it Yuzawa officials will be in Utah for one day. On Aug. 6 fee delegation will meet wife community representatives at the Magna Fitness mid Recreation Center. Included in the meeting is expected to be the Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman, several members of fee County Council, including Michael Jensen and Randy Horiuchi, and members of the Magna and Zoning Planning Commission and the Area Council. "This would become an exchange of culture and eco- nomics between the two cities" said Greg Schulz, a member of the Magna Planning Commission and an organizer of fee sister city visit This would become a e process." The proposal has also been favorably received by Kennecott Utah Copper and Alliant TechSystems who would be involved if the sister city relationship was formed wife Yuzawa. long-rang- |