New safety cameras are arriving in Altadena as legislation enforcement makes an attempt to stem skyrocketing charges of residential housebreaking within the fire-ravaged group, however some residents concern that received’t be sufficient to maintain thieves away.
From Jan. 1 to April 15, the variety of residential burglaries reported within the Altadena space was up about 450% in contrast with the identical interval in 2024, in accordance with knowledge from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division. For months, thieves have preyed on weak houses within the deserted group — ripping up copper pipes, smashing home windows and doorways, and stealing home equipment, jewellery, energy instruments, devices and even an Emmy award.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division introduced Wednesday that deputies have began deploying enhanced safety digicam programs within the Eaton hearth space to suppress theft and deter felony exercise.
“Safety cameras are one of the efficient instruments we have now to scale back property crimes and assist profitable prosecutions,” Ethan Marquez, appearing captain of the Altadena Sheriff’s Station, mentioned in an announcement. “Our objective is to guard the group, and these programs enable us to reply sooner and with higher data when crimes happen.”
The cameras will monitor high-traffic areas and supply video proof that can be utilized to prosecute thieves, in accordance with the Sheriff’s Division. It isn’t clear what number of cameras shall be put in locally.
Whereas some residents had been excited by the prospect of extra surveillance of their neighborhoods, others had been much less optimistic about how efficient the cameras shall be at lowering crime. A number of voiced a want for neighborhood checkpoints staffed by the Nationwide Guard, that are at present in place to guard Pacific Palisades.
“Putting in cameras to stop crime in an space that’s seen a spike in [burglaries] by 450% is like placing a Band-Support over a blood-gushing gunshot wound,” mentioned resident Natalie LaFourche, whose dwelling was damaged into in early April. “The residents of Altadena need fairness, not cameras. We would like the identical protections because the victims of the Palisades hearth.”
“The residents of Altadena need fairness, not cameras,” mentioned Natalie LaFourche, whose dwelling was burglarized April 23. “We would like the identical protections because the victims of the Palisades hearth.” Checkpoints staffed by the Nationwide Guard are at present in place to guard Pacific Palisades.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Occasions)
Within the Palisades, the Nationwide Guard continues to workers round half a dozen checkpoints that enable solely residents and permitted contractors to entry the realm.
In Altadena, which is a denser city space with many extra entry and exit factors, the Nationwide Guard stopped working visitors checkpoints on Jan. 21, in accordance with an announcement from the Sheriff’s Division. The Nationwide Guard was reassigned to key intersections to assist deter crime, earlier than concluding operations in Altadena final week “because of the absence of energetic visitors management wants,” the division mentioned.
Greater than 140 residential burglaries had been reported within the Altadena space from January by means of mid-April this 12 months, in accordance with Sheriff’s Division knowledge. Some houses have been hit a number of occasions.
Pacific Palisades has not skilled a comparable rise in crime. Twenty-three burglaries had been reported from January by means of March this 12 months within the Palisades, in comparison with 20 burglaries throughout the identical time interval final 12 months, in accordance with knowledge from the Los Angeles Police Division.
“I assume it’s more durable to safe the neighborhood [of Altadena], however I want they’d by no means let the Nationwide Guard go,” mentioned resident Jenna Morris, whose dwelling has been burglarized 3 times. “That’s what we want.”
Nationwide Guard members watch over an space in Altadena on Jan. 10. The Nationwide Guard wound down checkpoints on the finish of January and solely 4 members are at present assigned to Altadena.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Occasions)
On Thursday, the Sheriff’s Division requested a redeployment of the Nationwide Guard in Altadena, however that request was denied by the California Workplace of Emergency Administration, which as a substitute provided the help of extra California Freeway Patrol officers, in accordance with the Sheriff’s Division.
The division famous that whereas the Nationwide Guard may help with visitors management and catastrophe response, they don’t seem to be peace officers and subsequently can’t carry out policing duties. The division accepted the provide of extra CHP officers and is working to find out what extra sources they’ll present in Altadena, officers mentioned.
Morris and her husband, Howard, mentioned the cameras had been an encouraging step and one that may give them extra peace of thoughts, however additionally they provide no assure of security.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena, mentioned in an announcement Wednesday that the safety cameras shall be a “essential instrument to assist legislation enforcement reply shortly and successfully to guard residents and their property.”
Madalyn Majors, one of many few Altadena residents who has moved again into the neighborhood, mentioned she welcomes safety cameras, however acknowledges that there’ll nonetheless be surveillance gaps locally.
“It offers me hope that [sheriff’s officials] are at the very least monitoring the scenario and are conscious and might take extra drastic measures sooner or later as soon as they’ve seen what kind of impact safety cameras have,” she mentioned. “The concern that somebody is simply going to return in and drive away into the night time mysteriously just isn’t fairly so nice anymore.”
Whereas Majors is grateful to have the ability to reside at dwelling, she stays on edge after darkish. She has already paid to put in safety cameras and Starlink satellite tv for pc web to guard her dwelling since WiFi remains to be down within the space.
L.A. County sheriff’s Dets. David Gaisford, left, and Jeff Lohmann patrol an Altadena neighborhood in mid-January.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Occasions)
Altadena resident Elena Amador-French, mentioned many residents have already put in safety cameras on their properties however that hasn’t stopped criminals from pilfering objects from houses.
“It’s so brazen. These folks are available and so they see the digicam as they arrive proper as much as them, no masks, no cowl. … We see their license plates,” she mentioned. “I’m similar to, wow, what do you assume that is? It’s a free-for-all.”
Sheriff’s officers are asking residents and enterprise house owners who’ve video proof of crimes recorded on their private safety cameras to contact the Altadena Sheriff’s Station.
Previous to launching the brand new safety cameras, the Altadena Sheriff’s Station already had a number of measures in place to attempt to fight the uptick in crime. They’ve been doubling and tripling the variety of deputies on patrol, and operating focused operations with undercover deputies to catch thieves in motion, officers mentioned.
They’ve additionally launched the Altadena Residence Verify Program to supply routine check-ins on empty properties. Deputies have supplied greater than 14,000 checks on about 600 properties which have opted into this system.
Residents can enroll by emailing AltadenaHomeCheck@lasd.org and offering their identify, tackle and cellphone quantity.
