New security cameras have arrived in Altadena as law enforcement seeks to spike the rate of home robbery in fire-damaged communities, but some residents fear it will not be enough to keep burglars away.
From January 1st to April 15th, the number of housing complexes reported in the Altadena area increased by about 450% compared to the same period in 2024, according to data from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Thieves have torn copper pipes, destroy windows and doors, steal appliances, jewelry, power tools, musical instruments, and even Emmy Awards, and prey on vulnerable homes in abandoned communities.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that it began deploying an enhanced security camera system in the Eton Fire Area to curb theft and stop criminal activity.
“Security cameras are one of the most effective tools needed to reduce property crimes and help successful prosecution,” said Ethan Marquez, captain of the Altadena Sheriff’s Office, in a statement. “Our goal is to protect our communities, and these systems allow us to respond faster and better information when a crime occurs.”
According to the Sheriff’s Department, cameras monitor heavy traffic areas and provide video evidence that can be used to prosecute burglars. It is not clear how many cameras will be installed in the community.
Some residents were excited by the prospect of more surveillance in their neighborhoods, while others were not optimistic about how effective the cameras would be in reducing crime. Some have expressed their desire for nearby checkpoints where the National Guard is currently being installed to protect the Pacific Ocean’s Pallisard.
“Set up cameras to prevent crime in areas where spikes are visible [burglaries] Natalie Laforche, a resident whose home was destroyed in early April, said: We want the same protection as the victims of the Palisade Fire. ”
“Altadena residents want fairness, not cameras,” said Natalie Lafouche, whose home was robbed on April 23. The checkpoints where the National Guard was deployed are now in place to protect the Pacific Pallisard.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
At Palisades, the National Guard continues to serve as staff at about half a dozen checkpoints that make the area accessible only to residents and approved contractors.
In Altadena, an urban area with more entrance and exit points, the National Guard halted its operational traffic checkpoint on January 21, according to a statement from the Sheriff’s Department. The National Guard was reassigned to a critical intersection to stop crime before signing an operation in Altadena “due to the lack of a need for aggressive traffic control” last week.
Sheriff’s department data shows that over 140 home thefts have been reported in the Altadena area from January to mid-April this year. Some homes have been attacked multiple times.
Palisades in the Pacific have not experienced an equal increase in crime. According to data from the Los Angeles Police Department, 23 robberies were reported in Palisades between January and March this year, compared to 20 robberies at the same time last year.
“It’s hard to secure a neighborhood [of Altadena]but I hope they never let go of the National Guard,” said Jenna Morris, a resident whose home has been robbed three times. “That’s what we need.”
National Guard members are monitoring the area of Altadena on January 10th. At the end of January, the National Guard defeated the checkpoint, and currently only four members are assigned to Altadena.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
On Thursday, the Sheriff’s Department requested a redeployment of the National Guard in Altadena on Thursday, but the request was denied by the California Department of Emergency Management, and instead provided assistance to additional California Highway Patrol officers, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
The department noted that while the National Guard can assist in traffic control and disaster response, they are not peace officers and therefore cannot fulfill their police duties. The department is working to accept more CHP executive offers and determine the additional resources that can be provided in Altadena, officials said.
Morris and her husband, Howard, said cameras are an encouraging step and may provide more peace of mind, but they don’t even offer safety assurances.
Altadena’s representative superintendent Kathryn Barger said in a statement Wednesday that security cameras will be “an important tool to help law enforcement respond quickly and effectively to protect residents and their property.”
Madalyn Majors, one of the few Altadena residents back in their neighborhood, welcomes security cameras, but acknowledges that there is still a surveillance gap in the community.
“That would like me to do that [sheriff’s officials] “At least we are monitoring and aware of the situation and seeing how security cameras will have, we can take more dramatic measures in the future,” she said.
Major is grateful to be able to live in the house, but she remains kind as it gets dark. She has already paid to install a security camera and StarLink Satellite Internet to protect her home, as WiFi is still down in the area.
LA County Sheriff. David Guyford and Jeff Roman on the left patrolled the Altadena district in mid-January.
(Allen J. Scheven/Los Angeles Times)
Altadena resident Elena Amador-French said many residents have already installed security cameras at their facilities, but that has not stopped criminals from stealing items from their homes.
“It’s so brave. These people come in and look at the camera as they’re approaching them. There’s no masks or covers. “I just, wow, what do you think this is? I think it’s all freedom.”
Sheriff’s officials are asking residents and business owners who have video evidence of crime recorded on personal security cameras to contact the Altadena Sheriff’s Station.
Before the launch of the new security cameras, the Altadena Sheriff’s Station had already in place to try to combat the rise in crime. They have doubled and tripled the number of patrol representatives, and are acting by performing targeted surgeries with disabled agents to catch thieves, officials said.
We also started the Altadena Home Check program to provide regular check-in on empty properties. Lawmakers offer over 14,000 checks on the roughly 600 properties that have participated in the program.
Residents can sign up by emailing altadenahecheck@lasd.org and providing their name, address and mobile number.
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