Studio City : New Officer to Head Community Policing

A new senior lead officer has been put in charge of community policing programs in Studio City.

Officer John Caprarelli, 38, will be trying to stir interest in Neighborhood Watch programs at the Studio City Residents Assn.’s monthly meeting at 8 tonight in the Carpenter Avenue Elementary School auditorium at 3909 Carpenter Ave.

A 13-year Los Angeles Police Department veteran, Caprarelli has worked in the North Hollywood Division for the last eight years--the last 2 1/2 as senior lead officer for the Sun Valley community.

“He’s an excellent senior lead officer in terms of personality and temperament,” said Sgt. Ray Davies, who supervises all senior lead officers in the North Hollywood Division. “He gets out there and really takes an interest in the area that he’s assigned to. He solves little problems before they become big problems.”

Davies said he was confident that Caprarelli, whom he described as “personable and friendly,” would do well in his new beat.

Caprarelli said his goals are to have a representative from every street in his area involved in Neighborhood Watch and to encourage neighbors to get to know each other through crime-prevention meetings. He said he wants to spur more businesses to join Business Watch, for which he is also responsible.

The police officer--who succeeded Jim O’Riley, who retired--said he sees his new beat as more challenging than his old beat in some ways. Studio City, with its section of Ventura Boulevard, has more businesses than Sun Valley, and thus there is more potential for crimes against businesses. Caprarelli’s area includes hillside neighborhoods, which can pose difficulties for police in terms of access and visibility.

Caprarelli lives in Santa Clarita with his wife and two sons, ages 12 and 15.