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Sheriff station reports lower violent crime and fewer residential burglaries; highlights catalytic-converter arrests and drone training
Summary
Captain Drew Strong reported year-to-date declines in violent crime and residential burglaries and described recent arrests and training steps for a drone program.
Captain Drew Strong of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Cerritos station told the Community Safety Committee on May 20 that violent crime and residential burglaries in Cerritos have declined for the year and that targeted programs launched Nov. 5, 2024, are contributing to that decrease.
“We're down 27.66% in overall, violent crime through the city,” Captain Strong said, and he added that residential burglaries are down 5.71% year to date and about 10.2% when comparing the period Nov. 5, 2024–May 20, 2025, with the same dates a year earlier. Strong said suspects in the recent homicides are in custody.
Strong also described a recent arrest near Los Coyotes Creek and the 91 Freeway: deputies contacted an individual using methamphetamine and, during a search, found casing for copper wire, a sawzall and drug paraphernalia. Strong said the items are consistent with tools used in thefts of catalytic converters and copper wiring and that a filing was obtained in that case.
On technology and enforcement, Strong said deputies are training this week to be certified to operate drones. “Once they're completed with that course, I have a memo that I sent to Special Enforcement Bureau to see if they will sign off on us launching drones in the city,” he said.
City staff discussed supplementing contracted patrols. Darryl Evans said the city contracted with Southwest Patrol for extra patrol presence and is moving toward hiring city community safety officers (CSOs) to supplement or replace that contract; the city currently has three CSOs and is in the process of hiring two more. Evans said CSOs can take reports, run license plates and free deputies for higher-priority responses.
Ending: The sheriff's station and city staff urged residents to remain vigilant, report suspicious activity and noted that multiple layered efforts (patrols, CSOs, neighborhood watch) are part of an ongoing strategy to reduce property and violent crime in Cerritos.
