Car Thefts and Burglaries on the Rise

Car thefts and burglaries are a growing problem in the San Fernando Valley.  Police say it's not only the number one crime in the valley, but also the most preventable one.

L.A. Department of City Planning estimates 45,000 people live in Encino and police say that the wealthy community here has created a ripe feeding ground for criminals. West Valley Auto Detective Debbie Potter said the crime on the rise right now is burglary theft from vehicles (BTFV), which is why the LAPD launched a new program this summer that could actually prevent you from becoming the next victim.  

"Car thefts are up two percent over last year and thefts of property from inside cars are up six percent," Potter said.

Police say criminals are getting into cars by simply smashing windows and going after items like. These are items often left in plain view inside the car. The solution: lock it, hide it or keep it.

The premise of LAPD's "Lock It, Hide It, Keep It" campaign is that most car burglaries are crimes of opportunity. If people lock their cars and hide their property, that should drastically reduce the level of such crimes, Officer Rob Trulik said. Preferably, though, residents should just take their belongings with them.

"People just don't think," Potter said. "I get three or four reports a day saying the purse was left on the front seat.  You might as well put a sign on your car that says 'take me'."

Most of these crimes, Potter said, occur from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. which is why she urges everyone to be careful and to keep personal items out of plain sight. It costs a victim, on average, about $1,885 every time their car is broken into.

"It's a target-rich environment in Encino," Potter said.  "And then you also have all those apartment complexes where [criminals] really get bang for their buck." 

"It's a crime of opportunity," Trulik said. "A complex with 500 units probably has 700 to 1,000 cars in the parking lot." 

Potter says police in the West Valley are doing their part and taking the crime seriously, but they really want the public to pitch in as well.