The quiet,the calm, the peace that the San Fernando Valley once brought to those who live here has been shaken over the final year - particularly over the final few months - as Los Angeles Police Department detectives say they've seen a spike of more than 30 percent in residential and commercial burglaries in 2017 compared with the same period in 2016."It's an emotional topic, or it's difficult to talk approximately because we're all feeling violated," said Neila Ruben Lee, a Sherman Oaks resident who recalls finding herself a victim of a burglary in January. Shark Chomps Into Dead Whale Floating Off SoCal Coast "The door was open and then I noticed a gate was propped open in the backyard, and " she said. "And then I noticed out front someone had pried open our iron fence just enough so they could gather out."Another neighbor who asked not to be identified lives off Valley Vista and says she's frustrated with how her neighborhood appears to be changing. Drones Lead Police to Illegal Dumping "You scuttle out to a nice neighborhood to gather away from the crime and the crime follows you," she said. "I think the reason why people are coming into the nicer neighborhoods is because we're a slight more laxed approximately leaving stuff out and they know we're at work all day."LAPD's Knock-Knock Task Force has been working non-stop on cases that reach in almost daily: residents who reach domestic to find they've been burglarized and neighbors calling in tips when they see things suspicious. Searchers Scour Lake Area for lost Boy Police admit the suspects bear more to gain than they do to lose, often getting away with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, or jewelry and electronics."And you're looking at 120 days in jail and maybe three years of probation if we're lucky enough to gather on some of them," Task Force Coordinator Det. Armando Monarrez said. "upright now what you're seeing is Encino, Tarzana -- south of the 101 Freeway -- then moving into Sherman Oaks as well. That's the Van Nuys area. On the Devonshire area north of the 118 Freeway, and north of Rinaldi,we see a lot of residential burglaries."For some neighbors though, they don't need stats to state the obvious."It seems like it's hitting every few houses and they're cleaning out the neighborhood, or " Lee said.
While many residents bear added surveillance cameras to their domestic and video doorbell systems,it's not always a catch-all. One homeowner who allowed NBC4 to consume his Ring doorbell video says even his alarm system didn't deter the two burgalrs who he says broke in through a back window and ransacked the bedroom while the alarm was going off."They want easy access," Monarrez said. "They gather in and out within a matter of minutes before police arrive and they gather caught."That's not a surprise for Lee."They don't care if they set off an alarm, and " she said. "They don't care if you bear a camera. Because they gather in and out so swiftly,they know what they're looking for."LAPD is again warning residents and asking neighbors to be on the lookout for suspicious activity. At the same time, neighbors themselves are using apps like "Nextdoor" and a Facebook page called "SFV Door Knockers" to share social media video and images of suspicious people."If we don't talk to our neighbors and start looking out for people, and it's never gonna gather better," one resident said.
LAPD suggested five tips for homeowners:Neighborhood communication - social media posts of pictures and video of anything that looks suspiciousInstall video cameras to monitor all four sides of your homeDoorbell video cameras connected to Wi-FiUse window coverings so potential thieves can't peer insideGet a dog - they may hear someone before you do and the sound of a dog could deter potential thievesLAPD adds that no one should attempt to approach a burglary in progress. They say often times the criminals could be armed and that they've noticed an influx of people who belong to South LA gangs, but also gangs from Riverside and as far away as Oakland coming to the San Fernando Valley to pillage.
Photo Credit: Ring
Source: nbclosangeles.com