Full Notification

There has been a rising trend of burglaries in the South Bay area, including the City of Gardena. Police officers in the region are doing their best to combat this crime trend, but we need your help. As always, "If You See Something, Say Something." If you notice suspicious activity in your area, please call the police to inform us. The more sets of eyes that we have watching over our neighborhoods, the better! We rely heavily on our community partnerships to help us maintain our fight against crime and we really appreciate your help.

With that, we would like to provide you with a few simple tips to help protect your home from a burglary:


Doors and windows
* Make sure to lock all doors and windows when you leave the house, even if it will only be for a short time. Make it difficult for burglars to enter!
• Ensure that all locks are in good condition and that keys are controlled.• If available, display alarm decals or Neighborhood Watch decals.
• Exterior door hinges should be on the inside or have non-removable pins
• Deadbolt locks should have a minimum of a 1-inch throw. Strike plates should have a minimum of 3-inch screws.
• Secure casement windows with key latches, so the window cannot be pried.
• Secure sliding glass doors or windows (drive-thru) with screws in the upper track to deter prying.
• Install anti-pry plates on exterior doors.
• Keep advertising on doors and windows to a minimum.

Exterior
• Secure roof ladders, exterior venting, AC/heating ducts, and other exterior openings that a burglar could crawl through.
• Trim landscaping away from windows and doors, and keep trees away from exterior lighting.

Alarms/cameras
• Test alarms and camera system regularly.
• Display signage on doors, windows and parking lot that say that the premises is monitored by alarm and/or camera systems.
• Install fault-line monitoring that will send a signal to the alarm if the line is cut or signal is interrupted. • Put cameras in containers or domes, so they cannot be tampered or covered.

We hope that these tips will come in handy for you. We also want to thank you all, again, for your help in keeping the City of Gardena safe..