Single family homes in Pacific Palisades have become the target of burglaries.
Photo: Brian Espin
It appears that criminals have become more brazen and are targeting single-family homes.
Now with no-bail going into effect on October 1, there will even be less deterrent for criminals.
On September 26, The West Los Angeles Police Department put on a WARNING that in the last several months, there have been a wave of burglaries targeting single-family homes in Pacific Palisades, Riviera, Brentwood, Westwood Hills, Bel Air, Bel Air Crest, Beverly Glen, Benedict Canyon, Holmby Hills, Little Holmby-Westwood, Westwood South, Cheviot Hills and Beverlywood areas.
In the Pacific Palisades September 26 crime report, Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin reported that on September 23, that around 8:30 p.m. in the 1100 block of Corsica Drive, the suspects used a ladder to gain access to a second floor balcony, use a laser cutter to smash a glass door. The suspected entered the location and removed property.
The warning said that criminals, usually two to four males, are part of an organized burglary crew that target large homes that appear to be unoccupied at the time of the break-in.
On several occasions suspects have used a ladder, step stool, outdoor furniture or exterior drainpipes attached to the rear of the residence to get up to the balcony of the master bedroom on the second story. Criminals may use trees, bushes, pony walls to climb to an upper floor.
Once there, they smash or cut out a glass partition of the door and crawl in and remove property.
These criminals ransack the master bedroom and closet for jewelry, watches, high-end purses, safes and cash.
Often, suspects have a getaway vehicle out front with a person acting as a lookout in case of law enforcement response.
Suspects are known to carry handheld short-range radios for communication with the lookout. Suspects also carry a WIFI Jammer in an attempt to disrupt the WIFI signal of wireless residential security cameras like RING or NEST.
Residents should know that criminals enter the house by smashing or cutting the glass, and do not open the door to prevent setting off alarm sensors.
Hours of break-ins vary and can occur night or day. In some cases, suspects attempt entry while the victim is inside their residence.
The criminals are male, generally masked and gloved. The getaway vehicles can be rentals with dealer paper plates, temporary paper plates or “cold plates”- freshly stolen plates not yet reported. Sometimes the license plates are removed prior to committing a crime to avoid police or surveillance detection.
Police say that a residence may be a greater target if there is a lack of video surveillance, alarm system/active security guard on patrol.
Residents are asked to check backyards and perimeters for possible hidden recording devices and be aware of drones (used to obtain surveillance of a residence and patterns of life for residents).
BURGLARY PREVENTION RECOMMENDATIONS:
- Neighbors should be alert to suspicious activity and noises. Take photos of suspects or vehicles (showing plate) loitering by the building if you can do so safely.
- Implement a group email alert system to notify neighbors of unusual activity. If you see something, say something.
- If there is not currently a video surveillance system on your exterior sides and interior areas of your residence, consider installation options. Operable cameras and signs alerting that surveillance is on premises can be a deterrent. Also, consider an online community neighborhood watch (i.e. Neighbors from “Ring” or “Nextdoor” apps for information sharing).
- If your neighborhood has an HOA association, consider investing in a neighborhood/community camera surveillance system (i.e. “Flock” or “Vigilant”) for ongoing monitoring of vehicles that are not local to the area.
- Residents may wish to add motion lights and alarms to their glass sliding doors for additional security.
- Keep alarms activated at all times, whether you are at home or out for a short period of time and try and place your DVR in a location protected from tampering.
- Harden your exterior electrical circuit box with a padlock to prevent cutting power to security alarms and camera surveillance systems.
- Keep a pole in the sliding glass door track at all times to deter door opening by prying the lock.
- If you are out for the evening, leave lights on in several rooms, and possibly leave the television on. If you will be away from your residence for several days, install timer lights to activate at night, and ask your neighbors to be on the alert, providing them with your contact info. Ask a neighbor to retrieve your mail and packages.
- If possible, keep expensive jewelry in a bank safe deposit box, not in your residence.
- If a safe is owned, make sure it is bolted down to the floorboard and consider placing a GPS tracking device inside as a contingency (In the event it is taken, it can be tracked and found by police).
- Consider purchasing GPS tracking devices like Apple Air Tags for your safes and or valuables in the event you are victimized.
Finally, if a resident has any information, contact WLA Burglary Detective Carrillo at (310) 444-1568 or (213) 216-5308.
Police recommend that safes be bolted to the floor.