Door Checking (Los Angeles, Brentwood: 2014, crime rates, house)

[Exitus Acta Probat]

A note from…

OFFICER Maria Gray

Senior Lead Officer for Basic Car 8A13, Brentwood Area

Los Angeles Police Department

West Los Angeles Division

(310) 444-0744
30469@LAPD.ONLINE,
www.crimemapping.com

January 31, 2018
“Door Checking
It was brought up today in our Crime Control meeting that several residential surveillance cameras located east of the 405 freeway have captured images of suspects conducting ‘Door Checking’ throughout the neighborhoods. This happens virtually everywhere unfortunately, and it’s worth a discussion to be aware of and to prevent becoming a victim.

‘Door Checking’ is simply a modus operandi of property crime suspects who walk up and down the street, mostly at night, pulling on car door handles to see if they were left unlocked to steal the car contents. If you see a suspect ‘checking’ car doors, that rises to the level as a ‘crime in progress’ (or about to be in progress) and is suitable for a 911 emergency call.

But a new added variable is that they are now expanding their door checking to include the residences. They’ll pull on a door handle of a car parked in the driveway and if unsuccessful, they go up to the house and pull on the residential door as well. If left unlocked, they enter but typically don’t go in very deep into the house—they are looking for purses or car keys on the entry table, or laptops on the coffee table, etc., that they can quickly grab and leave with. Our victims don’t even know they’ve been burglarized until after they wake up the next day. In one case, the alarm went off and woke the victims up who immediately checked their living room. When they didn’t notice that the victim’s purse was gone they went back to bed unknowing that the suspects had been in their home. Very unnerving, to say the least.

All this is even more reason to have instant notification type surveillance systems on the perimeter of your home that will alert you immediately to your Smart phone—which is typically kept at night by your bedside and accessible to you.

Lastly, if you are a victim of a theft/burglary of your MAC or other Apple device, please alert the officers taking the report whether you have a tracking device (find my I-phone) and if you’ve taken any steps to track your device. If you’re comfortable with it, you can have the officers include your Apple ID/password for the detectives to utilize. Although the suspects will try and wipe clean the device asap, sometimes the ‘tracks’ will serve toward obtaining a search warrant for detectives. All the best, Maria

[CA4Now]

Thanks for the heads up!

[LoveMeSomeSFVHouses]

Good information!

[seain dublin]

Isn't it common sense to lock your car doors and the door to your house? Not just in LA but anywhere?

And if the car doors are locked, it's most likely the door to the house is locked.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

Isn't it common sense to lock your car doors and the door to your house? Not just in LA but anywhere?

And if the car doors are locked, it's most likely the door to the house is locked.

Locking your house or car in the past was not required in the past, but it is simply a part of the change in CA that has occurred over time.

[TacoSoup]

Another piece of advice, if you park on the street don’t leave your garage door opener on your visor. Spend $30 and get a keychain opener. If thats not your style bring it in the house, or at the very least put it in your center console or glove box.

[seain dublin]

[quote=expatCA;50924587]Locking your house or car in the past was not require4

In the past? What century are you talking about?

The Manson murders took place in 1969, so almost 50 years ago. If people didn't lock their doors before that they certainly started doing it afterwards. And I would bet money many here and in other parts of the country were locking their doors before 1969.

[jacktravern]

Originally Posted by expatCA

Locking your house or car in the past was not required in the past, but it is simply a part of the change in CA that has occurred over time.

How long ago into the past are we talking? 1888?
Maybe this alert should go up to our friends in Canada. I hear they are still quite trusting/Naive up there.
If nothing else Californians should've learned their lesson from the Nightstalker in the 80's.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by TacoSoup

Another piece of advice, if you park on the street don’t leave your garage door opener on your visor

Good advice. Also applies to anyone who parks in their driveway.

And never, ever crack your window(s). Even on the hottest summer night.

[ctr88]

Originally Posted by jacktravern

How long ago into the past are we talking? 1888?
Maybe this alert should go up to our friends in Canada. I hear they are still quite trusting/Naive up there.
If nothing else Californians should've learned their lesson from the Nightstalker in the 80's.

Violent crime rates in CA started to rise in the mid 1960's, peaked in early 90's, and have come down a lot since, but not quite to the pre-mid 1960's lower rates. Violent crime has risen again slightly since about 2014, but not enough time yet to see if that is major a trend.

Might want to see if there are any "correlations" to any major "changes" that started in CA in the mid 1960's, that may have to do with that violent crime gradually rate rising after those years.