The following is a news alerts form the Santa Clarita Valley
Sheriff's station.

[view:node_ad=5]Recently, e-mails have been rapidly circulating throughout
the Santa Clarita Valley area containing a publicly created flier
with unsubstantiated information about a maroon colored van possibly
casing Santa Clarita neighborhoods.  This e-mail, entitled "suspicious
van in Valencia
(Be careful)", contains this unofficial flier (click here to view
full flier).

The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station received one call
regarding this van on Wednesday,
January 28, 2009, at 7:58 p.m.
which apparently precipitated the flier.  The call stated that a
"red" ford van with tinted windows and two male adult occupants were
in the area of Via Heraldo and Avenida Navarre,
Valencia, all
day acting suspiciously.  The caller also gave a license plate of
"5MEJD49". 

The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station has
conducted an investigation into this van and the information listed in the
flier.  The license plate provided in the call and on the flier was off by
one digit.  We have identified the van and its
registered owner as a legitimate licensed business operating out of Moorpark
California.  The
business deals in the demonstration and sales of a specific brand of
vacuum cleaners.  They generally conduct demonstrations by
appointment only and also canvas neighborhoods when in the area in an
effort to generate interest and sales. 

Although the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's
Station encourages public involvement and awareness and we encourage all
residents to call us when they see suspicious persons or vehicles in their
neighborhoods, we also advocate responsible reporting and distribution of
information when it comes to potential crimes or persons and vehicles of
interest. 

Had the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station been aware of
any crime or activity specific to this van or any other vehicle that was
relevant to public safety, release, and/or dissemination, we would have
posted and released an official Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Special
Informational Bulletin or press release. 

Although the creation of such a flier is not illegal, we
strongly recommend that residents verify all information with local
authorities prior to releasing it.  The creating of these types of
bulletins, fliers, and e-mails can cause undue fear or
even panic.  It can also potentially lead other community members to
take inappropriate or unlawful action that may result in civil or criminal
liability on the part of the creator. 

The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station responds to
dozens of calls regarding suspicious vans, vehicles, and persons every
week.  These calls help us protect our community.  Neighborhood Watch
is a key component of what we do.  We need your eyes, ears, and
involvement and we realize that. We strongly encourage residents
to continue calling and reporting such suspicious persons or vehicles. 
We also recommend that you frequently visit our Web site at  www.SCVSheriff.com to verify public
safety related information or contact the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's
Station at (661) 255-1121 to verify information received via e-mail or other
unverifiable sources.  

Information sharing is very important in our fight
against crime and protecting our communities and the Internet can sometimes
be the best means of disseminating that information. 
However, inaccurate information that has not been thoroughly investigated and
verified can be detrimental to any active investigation and the
public.  Only information officially pertinent to public safety in the
Santa Clarita Valley and released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's
Department, the City of Santa Clarita,
the County of Los Angeles,
and any other reputable media outlets should be considered as factual,
accurate, and/or verified.