Crime is up in Brentwood, particularly burglaries, according to Senior Lead Officer Philip Enbody. At a recent meeting hosted by South Brentwood Residents Association, Enbody said there was much we all can and should do to “harden the target.â€
Burglaries in 2011 were up 133 percent over 2010. While this percentage increase might seem alarming, crime had been falling for a few years prior to 2011. The 2011 numbers are just getting back up to where we were in 2008 and 2009, said Enbody.
Officer Enbody reviewed the year’s crime activity and reported there were 517 crimes in 2010 and 610 in 2011 which was an 18% increase. The biggest problem is burglaries, which had increased 133% in 2011. He said there were 39 burglaries in 2011 in South Brentwood’s territory from Westgate to Santa Monica and 26th Street and south of San Vicente to Wilshire.
Access was typically gained through unlocked doors and windows; some were pried open, some were smashed or the door was forced by pushing and/or kicking. When the alarm was switched on, 90 percent of the time, the burglars left and moved on to an easier target.
Officer Enbody said the single best precaution to take was to:
• SWITCH ON YOUR ALARM IF YOU HAVE ONE
• Be sure all locks are operational and lock your doors and windows
• Have back-up devices in the event your alarm fails
• Dogs ARE a deterrent
• Install exterior sensor lights that go on at dark and off at dusk.
• Close your draperies, put lights on, play TV or music.
Most burglaries are occurring around the 900 block of Dorothy and the 1100 block of Wellesley. Out of the 39 burglaries, 14 were condominiums. No weapons were used apart from equipment to pry open doors/windows. Fingerprints obtained at a crime scene can take 6-8 months to process.
Officer Enbody said that crime decreases when LAPD patrol cars are present. Paying for private security services (ACS, ADT, Brentwood Patrol, etc.) can also help.
The police use an equation to determine how many cars and officers they need to deploy to specific areas based on the analysis of recent crime activity. Usually the LAPD has one basic car patrolling Brentwood; recently this was increased to three or four cars.
Most burglaries occur during the day. Burglaries that happen at night are usually when the occupants are not at home; burglar(s) typically check to see if anyone is at home before entering. Construction sites are also targets.
The most common items stolen from homes are cash and jewelry. The description of the perpetrators covers a wide range of physical appearances. Stolen goods are typically ‘fenced’ or sold on EBay or Craigslist;
Officer Enbody also discussed the early release program (prisoners from state prisons being released early) and said that burglars tend to return to the area they previously frequented.
Enbody did not recommend using firearms if confronted by a burglar. Sometimes during a scuffle, a resident’s weapon can wind up in the hands of the burglar. Officer Enbody suggested citizens call the numbers listed at the end of this article. Non-emergency activity can be reported to www.alertcommunity.com.
House alarm calls are prioritized, with panic calls at the top of the list. 98.6 percent of house alarms are false, so an alarm alone might not result in a quick response. The real value of alarms, said Enbody, was that they scare away burglars and alert the neighbors who are often quick to look in on the situation.
Officer Enbody said neighborhood watch programs can be valuable. Neighbors should exchange information such as phone numbers and when they will be gone on vacation.
The most effective neighborhood watches are those that are constantly communicating. Email trees are very effective and Officer Enbody suggested adding his name to your list so he is aware of what is going on in your area. Signs indicating an area has a neighborhood watch program might be a deterrent.
Neighborhood watches can be a very useful communication tool not just for crime/burglaries but also for disasters and emergencies, he added. Enbody encouraged residents to set up a residents’ meeting and he and Ray Klein would make a presentation on how to set up a neighborhood watch program.
Officer Enbody issues a weekly Crime Report of the Brentwood area; email him at 24914@lapd.lacity.org to be added to his list.
Emergency 911
Non Emergency 877.275.5273
Sr. Lead Office 310.444.0735
www.alertcommunity.com
