Despite Holiday Spate, Home Burglaries Down in 2018

Data From SLO Michael Moore Reveal Palisades Crime Statistics, Including Rise in Vehicle Breakins

By JAMES GAGE | Reporter

With the holidays over, crime is slowing down in Pacific Palisades. In fact, despite the recent spate of property crimes, overall crime in town has gone down since last year, according to LAPD Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore.

“In 2017 we had 89 burglaries, and in 2018 we had 75,” Moore told the Palisadian-Post. “In both 2017-18, we had 82 thefts. We did have more vehicle burglaries [140 in 2017 and 162 in 2018].

“I would advise residents to keep valuables out of sight in your vehicles. For homes, set your alarms and lock all doors and windows and report suspicious activity like vehicles with paper plates, or people driving around with hoodies on.”

Several security companies operating in Pacific Palisades met with representatives from LAPD on Saturday, January 5. Moore was in attendance, along with LAPD Detective Davis.

At the meeting, Moore told the Post, Davis explained that the holiday crime surge was an anomaly, though acknowledged that LAPD resources are stretched thin, with just two burglary detectives and himself each handling 300 to 400 burglaries for the entire WLA division.

“A burglary alarm call [intrusion] is not a priority call for law enforcement due to the sheer number of false alarms,” Davis said at the meeting. “The D-III suggests having a response company in place.”

Davis also discussed the arrest of a suspect that was burglarizing residences in the summer that was captured on video during one of his numerous burglaries in the Palisades (400 block of Amalfi), Santa Monica (on La Mesa) and Westwood (near UCLA). The security cameras in place provided identifiable photos of the suspect. In one such photo, on La Mesa, the suspect was seen with a pistol in his hand. This was sent out as an SSA Crime Alert on October 6, 2018.

This suspect remains in custody, having been arrested by LAPD-WLA Detectives with six counts of burglary filed.

“Due to the limited number of police resources available to West Los Angeles Division, community members should do everything possible to protect their homes from intrusion,” Moore said. “This includes, but is not limited to, installing and using a burglary alarm system—the louder the better.

“On both the first and second floors of a home, locking doors and windows when away and when sleeping, hiring a security patrol company, installing a camera system that alerts you to activity and allows you to view what is happening in real time are best. Monitor the interior, exterior and street at your home—a street view may make it possible to capture license plate info on a suspect vehicle—and consider installing window glazing to make shattering glass doors and windows more difficult and time consuming.”