During the last few months, we have experienced a significant rise in residential burglaries in Culver City. Most of these burglaries are being committed by groups of teenagers or young adults during the hours of 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM. This crime trend is not isolated to Culver City, as our neighboring cities are experiencing similar trends. We attribute the increase, among other things, to the fact that teenagers and young adults are out of school for the summer and many families are on vacation, leaving their homes unattended. Thanks to the help and support of our community, our neighborhood watch groups, and the hard work of the men and women of the Culver City Police Department, we have made twenty one arrests (seven of which were women) related to the burglaries in our city. Although we’ve made twenty one arrests and burglaries seem to be slowing down, we would ask that you stay vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity to the Culver City Police Department. Here are some helpful tips to help protect your home from burglary:
1. When leaving your home, always close and lock all of your doors and windows, including small bathroom windows or any second story window that is accessible by a patio cover or otherwise. Use secondary locking devices on your windows, such as wooden dowels or security sash pins.
2. Avoid displaying your valuables through open windows. Leave your blinds closed when you’re not home and place computers and other electronics in rooms that are not visible from outside your home.
3. Consider getting an alarm system and use it. Alarm companies that install and monitor your alarm are great, but there are less expensive options too. Wireless alarms can be purchased on the internet, do not require permanent wiring, and can be monitored from your cell phone. An even less expensive option can be purchased at your local home improvement store. Personal alarms designed for your home usually cost less than $20 and can be installed on windows and doors. They emit an audible alarm when they are tripped.
4. Lock your gate and secure your backyard. Many burglars enter from the side or rear of a residence where they are out of public view. Don’t make it easy for them by leaving your gate unlocked.
5. Work with your neighbors and let them know when you are going on vacation. Leave a contact number with them and make sure they know who should and shouldn’t be at your home and during what hours. Ask them to pick up your newspapers and collect your mail while you’re gone, as stacks of both are an indication that your home is empty and make it a target. If you’re able to, leave a vehicle parked in the driveway of your residence to give the appearance that someone is home.
6. Burglars often knock on your front door to see if anyone is home. If a resident answers the front door, the burglar will often try to engage that person in conversation while their confederates break into your home through a rear door or window. Oftentimes, burglars send a female to knock on the door as they are generally less intimidating. We recommend you do not answer your door if you are unsure of the legitimacy of the person knocking. It’s important that you make the person aware of the fact that someone is home, since they may break in if they believe the house is unoccupied. Yelling through your closed and locked door, “No thank you” or “Go away” typically works well.
7. Look for people who seem out of place, are going door to door, or are acting suspiciously in your neighborhood and immediately report this activity to the Culver City Police Department. Many of the aforementioned arrests were made after a citizen called 911 to report suspicious activity in their neighborhood.
8. Photograph and record the serial numbers to your valuables so that they can be identified if stolen.
9. Stay connected with the Culver City Police Department by subscribing to Nixle and Smart911, and follow us on Twitter (@Culver_citypd) and Facebook (see attached for more information).
Be smart, stay safe, and remember, if you see something, SAY SOMETHING!
Please contact Lieutenant Jason Sims for more information at 310-253-6258.
