BRIEFLY IN PUBLIC SAFETY

‘War games’ played at market parking lot

A 20-year-old Anaheim man playing “war games” with five others in the parking lot of the Albertsons market on Coast Highway in South Laguna was cited for possession of a switchblade knife Dec. 27, Det. Sgt. Darin Lenyi said.

Police were called to the scene at 6:51 a.m., on a report that five to six youths armed with guns were lurking in the parking lot. The weapons turned out to be air guns, with the exception of the switchblade.

Albertsons’ employees were advised by police not to open the store until police arrived, according to police records.

Police Citizen Academy accepting applications

The Laguna Beach Police Department is accepting applications for the Citizen Academy. The academy starts Wednesday, Jan. 24, and will meet from 6 to 9:30 p.m. for 12 consecutive weeks (the 13th week is graduation).

Applications will be accepted until Jan. 16.

The Citizen Academy is designed to provide community members with a better understanding of the police department and to help foster better communications between police and citizens.

The academy will include instruction in: history of the department, investigations, traffic enforcement, accident investigation, driving under the influence investigation, gangs, narcotics, neighborhood watch, crime prevention, crime scene investigation, police K-9 program and volunteer programs.

Academy members will be given the chance to shoot at the police firing range and participate in mock scenarios.

There is also a tour of the Orange County Jail.

For an application, contact the department at (949) 497-0701.

For questions regarding this program, contact Sgt. Darin Lenyi at (949) 497-0375 or e-mail [email protected]t

Midtown power outages New Year’s night

A palm frond caused a 37-minute power outage — preceded by several outages lasting 30 seconds or less — between 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Monday in the midtown area of Laguna Beach.

The palm frond apparently touched off the outages when it was blown into overhead power lines, said Steven Conroy, a spokesman for Southern California Edison Co.

Police received several calls on the incident, which Conroy said began as reports of flickering lights and then several brief outages prior to the longer-lasting one.

The source of the problem was on Center Street.

When power lines touch each other, they can cause a loud spark and flash, Conroy said.

An Edison work crew located the source of the problem, and power was restored by 10:30 p.m., Conroy said.

High winds in the area likely caused the frond to hit the power lines.

Umbrellas and tree limbs were reported downed in the stiff winds, Det. Sgt. Darin Lenyi said.