COMMUNITY ALERT - WEST LOS ANGELES AREA LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WEST LOS ANGELES AREA CRIME & COMMUNITY INTELLIGENCE CENTER
BURGLARY WARNING
In the last several months West Los Angeles, LAPD has reported a wave of burglaries targeting residential single-family homes in the 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.
MO: 2 to 4 unknown males are a part of an organized burglary crew impacting the West Los Angeles community. Suspects related to this crew are known to target large homes that appear to be unoccupied at the time of the breakin. On several occasions’ suspects have been depicted using a ladder, step stool, outdoor furniture or exterior drain pipes attached to the rear of the residence to get up to the master bedroom 2nd story balcony. The suspects then smash or cut out a glass partition of the door and crawl in and remove property. These suspects are particularly ransacking the master bedroom and master bedroom closet for jewelry, watches, high-end purses, safes and US currency. Often times, suspects leave a lay-off/ getaway vehicle out front with a suspect acting as a lookout in case of law enforcement response. Suspects are known to carry handheld short-range radios for communication with the lay-off vehicle/lookout. Suspects also carry a WIFI Jammer in an attempt to disrupt the WIFI signal of wireless residential security cameras like RING or NEST.
TOOLS USED:
WIFI Jammers, handheld short-range radios, window punch, possible laser cutter
ITEMS OF INTEREREST:
Jewelry, luxury handbags, and cash are targeted.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR:
Entry is made through a first-floor rear sliding door or second story rear balcony glass door by smashing or cutting out a glass partition of the door. Suspect will not open the door to prevent setting off alarm sensors.
In some cases, the suspects attempt entry while the victim is inside their residence.
Hours of crimes vary throughout the day and night.
Suspects are crews of multiple males, usually masked and gloved.
Suspect vehicles are usually rentals with dealer paper plates, temporary paper plates or “cold plates”- freshly stolen plates not yet reported.
Some suspect vehicles have been seen working in tandem with up to two vehicles.
Suspects are also known to remove the vehicle license plates prior to committing a crime to avoid police or surveillance detection.
Residence may be a greater target if there is a lack of video surveillance, alarm system/active security guard on patrol.
Check your backyards and residence perimeter 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
1. Engage neighbors in your neighborhood to 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.
2. Implement a group email alert system in your building to notify neighbors of unusual activity. If you see something, say something.
3. 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).
4. 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.
5. Residents may wish to add motion lights and alarms to their glass sliding doors for additional security. Suspects can use trees, bushes, pony walls to climb to an upper floor.
6. Keep your alarm 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 which is protected from tampering.
7. Harden your exterior electrical circuit box with a padlock to prevent from the cutting of power to security alarms and camera surveillance systems.
8. Keep a pole in the sliding glass door track at all times to deter the door opening by prying the lock.
9. 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 daily to hold for you.
10. If possible, keep expensive jewelry in a bank safe deposit box, not in your residence.
11. If a safe is owned, make sure it is bolted down to the floor board 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).
12. Consider purchasing GPS tracking devices like Apple Air Tags for your safes and or valuables in the event you are victimized.
