NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin UCPD lead officer Andy
Ikeda checks to make sure his shotgun works properly
before his shift begins.
By Helen Seliverstov
Daily Bruin Contributor What began as a quiet Thursday night ended
with a “huge bust” of two suspects for suspicion of
multiple car burglary and resisting arrest. UCPD lead officer Andy
Ikeda took this Daily Bruin reporter on a ride-along through
Westwood, Palms and Venice Thursday ““ a night that included a
drunk driving arrest, a few noise complaints and the night’s
biggest event ““ the arrest of two alleged car burglars.
Police suspect these two of multiple car burglaries, though they
are not to blame for all the theft going on in Westwood. UCPD
officer Jason Pak found two cut padlocks in one of the
suspect’s backpack, which police booked as evidence. Police
said this evidence showed the two had burglarized before; that they
were experienced criminals. Police also found a new snowboard, a
crochet mallet and a desk lamp in the car. Most of the items were
hidden under towels in the trunk, which gave police reason to
believe this is not the first burglary for these suspects. Though
it ended with a bang, the night began rather slow, as Ikeda cruised
Westwood offering general information about himself and his work.
He dispelled many of the myths that surround a cop: He prefers Hot
Flaming Cheetos to donuts. He graduated from UCLA in 1996 with a
degree in psychology; he was a Community Service Officer while a
student. Becoming a cop was not always his dream but a gradually
growing interest, Ikeda said. His parents did not like him becoming
a police officer. “They keep telling me, don’t be
afraid to run,” Ikeda said. And Ikeda does not like to give
out speeding tickets because he hates going to traffic court, even
though studies show that if a person has been ticketed for speeding
they are less likely to get into a car accident. “We
don’t write tickets to be mean; we write them to prevent
accidents,” Ikeda said. Ikeda has never used a gun or a
shotgun while out on the field. But like every other UCPD officer,
he is fully equipped to deal with crimes occurring in Westwood and
on the UCLA campus ““ every UCPD officer carries a loaded gun,
baton, ammunition, pepper spray, a radio and a flashlight. Also, in
every UCPD car is a shotgun. And Ikeda is always a cop ““ not
just when he’s on duty. He carries a gun with him even when
he is not in uniform. Being a cop is a high-risk job. There are
many unknowns that officers deal with, Ikeda said, adding that
there is no such thing as a routine call, that every call can go
sour. But at the beginning of the night Ikeda did not find himself
in a position to run or fight ““ things were slow. Thursday
night was relatively uneventful possibly because it is cold, one
UCPD officer said, or perhaps because UCLA had lost a basketball
game to Stanford. There were not too many celebraters in
Westwood.
10:30 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.: Business as usual Ikeda
went over guidelines for cops about calling for help and about not
getting out of the car if the situation is too dangerous. Ikeda
drove around the residence halls, campus, fraternity row and
university apartment locations looking for any suspicious activity.
When he passed by another officer writing a ticket, the other
officer held up Ikeda four fingers ““ a sign that police use
to mean everything is under control.
 NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin UCPD lead officer Andy
Ikeda assists a fellow officer in performing a DUI line
test at the corner of Weyburn and Gayley Avenues Friday. If that
signal was not received, then Ikeda, like any other officer, would
pull up and provide assistance.
Throughout the night, Ikeda went into many alleys where he
either turned off all lights and crept slowly, or turned on his
bright lights so people in the alley could not see the sirens on
his car. As it got later, Ikeda did not hesitate to flash his
brights at random people hanging around. He did this so he could
see the people’s reactions. If they run or walk away, he
said, that is a sign they have something to hide. Ikeda also
watched for lonely pedestrians to whom he sometimes offers a ride
home. He also checked several license plates in case the cars were
stolen. Often when a car gets dumped, it is ticketed because it is
parked illegally, Ikeda said. Four nights a week, Ikeda’s
main patrolling area is the residence halls. He is invited by
resident directors to give crime prevention talks and safety
orientation to Office of Residential Life staff. Before the
ride-along, he met with the resident director on duty at Hitch
Suites to ask whether she expected problems up on the Hill that
night. “The best part about being a cop is making a good
felony arrest,” Ikeda said. “Then I feel like I am
making a difference.” His least favorite part is people
questioning his tactics and being “rebellious.”
“I understand that it is a phase, but students can be very
difficult to deal with,” Ikeda said. One student agreed.
“I think that cops are pretty reasonable about breaking up
parties, and they are good about keeping Westwood safe,” said
Tyrus Park, a fourth-year physical science student. 1:30
a.m.: DUI suspect After a few hours of having little to
do, Ikeda saw a fellow officer searching a man on the corner of
Weyburn and Gayley Avenues. Ikeda aided the other officer in giving
a series of Standardized Field Sobriety Tests to a drunk driving
suspect. These tests included a line test, where the person had to
take nine steps on the line and count backward. The person also
took a Finger Nose Test, where he had to tilt his head back with
his eyes shut and put his finger to his nose. While the person was
able to perform the test, there were obvious signs of intoxication,
Ikeda said. He wavered back and forth more than a sober person
would during the sobriety test, Ikeda said, and his breath stank of
alcohol. He was offered the chance to take a Preliminary Alcohol
Screening test, which is a smaller version of a breathalyzer test.
The test showed his alcohol level to be 0.106 the first time and
0.107 the second time ““ both over California’s legal
limit of 0.08. This person was placed under arrest by the other
officer and taken to the UCPD station. As the suspect was put in
the backseat of a UCPD car, he felt the cushion-free seat. One
reason for these hard, uncomfortable seats is that they are easier
to clean up in case someone throws up, Ikeda said. Also, a suspect
can dump drugs out and hide them between cushions, but with hard
seats evidence would be immediately visible. The drunk driving
suspect was given a choice between a more complete and accurate
breathalyzer test or a blood test. While a Driving Under the
Influence charge goes on a person’s record, the person
usually does not have to spend a night in jail as long as someone
can come to pick them up. In 30 days, the suspect will have to go
to court. 2:13 a.m.: Flat tires and noise
violations While driving on Sunset Boulevard, Ikeda saw a
car that was stopped by the curb. He asked if anything was wrong
““ it was just a flat tire. He set up flares around the car to
prevent other cars from hitting it. Seven minutes later, Ikeda
received a noise complaint on the 400 block of Landfair Avenue.
When he knocked on the door, he asked to speak with the resident of
the apartment and asked them to keep the noise down. Ikeda told the
resident she would be subject to arrest for disturbing the peace if
there was another complaint that night. While Ikeda documented the
event, he was told by those leaving the party that they were just
watching a movie. While this was an apartment party, UCPD officers
are often asked to break up fraternity parties. UCPD is usually
informed of an organized fraternity party at least five days in
advance. The fraternity notifies UCPD of the number of people
expected, whether alcohol will be present, the number of security
personnel hired and the name of the social chair who is supposed to
remain sober throughout the party. Usually the fraternities are
pretty good about making it easy to deal with them, Ikeda said.
3:15 a.m.: The “huge bust” At this
time, the night’s big call came in. A call for backup was
heard on Ikeda’s radio, asking for help on the intersection
of Weyburn and Strathmore Avenues. After officer Pak wrestled with
one of the suspects, and Sgt. Stewart made the arrest, they saw
that the suspect was breaking into the bumper of a 1984
Mercedes-Benz parked in a car port. The cops found the padlocks, a
skateboard and a poster board with basketball cards in the Dodge
Neon that the suspects were driving. The suspects, who fit the
description of burglars that have been breaking into cars in
Westwood, were taken to West Hollywood Sheriff’s Department.
The arraignment date is probably going to be early this week. The
hearing date has not been set. The bail is set at $15,000, but it
may increase for Sherard because of the two warrants issued by LAPD
and Santa Monica Police against the suspect. But despite the rush
of car burglaries, some students still feel that the neighborhood
is safe. “I feel pretty safe about my car parked in a parking
structure,” said Brett Archie, a fourth-year political
science student who was passing by the crime scene. Ikeda agreed
with Archie. “If I wasn’t a cop, I’d feel very
comfortable living here, because it’s that safe,” he
said.