Patrols to Keep Streets Safe for Merrymakers

The Westlake Village Disaster Relief Team, a volunteer group founded by the city, will be out in force Thursday night patrolling the area to ensure that streets are safe for Halloween merrymakers.

The team will patrol the streets beginning at dusk and will be in radio contact with deputies at the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station.

“We’re supposed to be looking out for suspicious activities, and looking for Halloween-type pranks that may go a little beyond the funny stages,” said team director Martin A. Cohn.

Deputy Norm Campbell of the Lost Hills station said team members and other volunteers will spend the evening monitoring the streets of Calabasas, Agoura Hills and Westlake Village areas.

“We need people who are somewhat trained that can call in and give us information on what’s going on in their area,” he said. “They’ll be out there specifically looking for [problems] and they already have a communications system set up.”

The 16-month-old team was founded by the city to educate residents about disaster preparedness and to respond to incidents during a disaster that professional emergency services cannot get to immediately. Halloween night patrols are a first for the group, which has 42 registered members and a core group of 12 active members.

“We have a couple of foot patrols and mobile patrols,” Cohn said. “We’ll try to have as much of a high visibility as possible and let people know we’re there if they need assistance, whether it be directions or to report something.”

In past years there have been few reports of problems on Halloween night in the Westlake Village area, Campbell said. The patrols are out as a precaution.