Tips to Safeguard Your Property from Palisades LAPD Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin
In order to increase the safety of your property, here is some advice from Brian Espin, Los Angeles Police Department Senior Lead Officer for Pacific Palisades:
Brian Espin, LAPD senior lead officer for Pacific Palisades. Photo: Courtesy of CTN
Install security window film. There are many different brands and companies that make shatter-proof window film. I recommend looking into what type works for your home to make it harder for criminals to get to your stuff. When someone smashes a window, it’s usually just one hit. The film makes it harder to smash so the person has to hit the glass several times creating more noise.
Get a security system that will give you instant notification if someone is on your property. If you can see that someone is there and can give a good description of the suspects, it will bump our response up to a priority call from a non-priority alarm-only response.
If you have security cameras on your property, it is helpful for an investigation to have one or more cameras angled towards the street or sidewalk. Investigators can backtrack based on video footage. Hopefully with cameras showing vehicles or other suspects, investigators can obtain valuable information.
Please continue to lock your house and vehicles and do not leave valuables in or out in the open. Let's make it harder for these criminals to get your stuff.
Remember to be aware of your surroundings. We can deter most crimes when we acknowledge the people around us. Most criminals do not want to be noticed.
Keep bushes and trees in front of your house trimmed. Overgrown foliage can provide a hiding spot for a burglar.
Lock your side gates. Make it difficult for the burglar to gain access to your backyard. Most homes are entered from the rear.
Security cameras are helpful, please make them visible. A security sign in your front yard is also a plus.
Get to know your neighbors. Good communication about suspicious behavior is a helpful strategy to deter criminal activity.
Keep trash/recycling bins away from fences or gates. These bins are sturdy and may be used as a "step stool" to jump over a fence/gate.
Use environmental barriers, such as cactus, thorny vegetation or plants, to make the side or rear of your house less inviting. In most Palisades burglaries, suspects gain access to the side or rear of the property where they break a window to get into the house.
When calling 911 or the non-emergency line (877)275-5273, please be patient and be ready to share your location and a detailed description of the incident to help LAPD dispatchers determine a response.
You can also check http://crimemapping.com/ for daily information of crime in the area.
