LAPD Offers Tips on Protecting Yourself and Property

Hollywood residents concerned with an met with law enforcement officials at Yamashiro restaurant this week and discussed ways to better protect themselves.

Senior Lead Officer Irv Isabella of the Los Angeles Police Department's Hollywood Division, along with representatives from the LA County Sheriff's Department, home security professionals from Post Security and Hollywood residents used the evening to share tips on how to be proactive to reduce crime. 

• Keep Valuable Items Out of Sight. Isabella noted that the most common crimes were those of opportunity, especially thefts from cars. From cell phones to loose change, anything that a would be thief can see inside your car makes it a target.

• Close and Lock Your Garage. An open garage allows potential thieves to essentially window shop, not to mention often allows ease of access to the interior of a home. According to neighbors, the suspects responsible for gained access to the house by removing a ladder from an open garage and using it to enter the home through an unlocked second story window.

• Pick Up Your Mail. Your mail is not only a potential target for identity thieves or anyone seeking checks and other valuables. A full mailbox is also a signal to burglars that nobody is home. Pick up your mail as early as possible, and consider enlisting a neighbor to pick up your mail so it doesn't sit out for too long. Even better is to purchase a locked mailbox. Outgoing mail is also at risk - instead of leaving them in your box for postal workers to pick up, drop letters directly into a mailbox or at a local post office.

• Communicate with Your Neighbors. Being able to talk to and identify your neighbors is the crux of even the most basic neighborhood watch. Knowing who belongs in your community helps to better identify suspicious activity and persons. And having a line of open communication with your neighbors provides an easy way to spread news of dangers to look out for.

• Security Guards. "This may sound like an advertisement," said Phil Peters, a patrol sales representative for Post Security, a private security company, "but our clients in the Hollywood Hills have repeatedly been bypassed in the waves of burglaries that occasionally wash over that area."

• Lighting. One characteristic of a low crime area, according to L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy Paul Schrader, is good lighting. Peters also recommends motion activated lights which keep criminals on their toes, explaining, "If you can make your house seem like too great a challenge to a would-be criminal, he will not even try."

• Report Any Crimes. Isabella urged residents to report any theft. "It may not make our stats look good," he said, but it helps him know which areas to keep an eye on.

• Report Suspicious Activity. If someone looks out of place in your neighborhood, or their behavior suspicious, immediately call the LAPD's non-emergency line at 877-ASK-LAPD or Hollywood Division at 213-972-2971 (for any crime in progress or other emergency, of course call 911). Take note of physical descriptions, and license plate numbers of vehicles are involved.

"Be vigilant, be wary, and don't be hesitant to challenge why they're there," said Officer Isabella, who added to also keep an eye out for people claiming to DWP or other service workers to gain entry to homes.

For more information on the Hollywood Hills West Neightbohood Council, visit http://www.hhwnc.org