As Chair of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, Councilmember Jack Weiss’ foremost priority in office is to make Los Angeles a safer place to live and work. Councilmember Weiss has led efforts to grow the Los Angeles Police Department to 10,000 officers and increase funding for DNA testing to identify and prosecute rapists. Additionally, his Ten-Point Plan has worked to ensure that Los Angeles is fully prepared for a terrorist attack while he has promoted meaningful police reform.
Residents can do their part by working to make sure that they and their neighbors are aware of some of the crimes detailed below that have occurred in communities throughout Los Angeles.
Public Safety Tips
“Diversion Burglaries” occur when strangers come to your door posing as a government worker, claiming to be raising money for a worthy cause, or using another ruse to gain access to your home. Their goal is to convince you to allow them to enter your home, at which time, one will divert your attention away from what their partner is doing, which is stealing your valuable possessions. Once the theft occurs, they will leave your home before you can determine what happened. Another scam occurs when an individual uses a ruse to enter your home to determine the best way to steal your property at a later date.
A number of these have been occurring in CD 5. Councilmember Weiss wants you to understand ways you can stay safe at home.
Staying Safe at Home
If A Stranger Is At Your Door
- Never indicate you are home alone and never open your door to a stranger.
- Use your wide-angle viewer to see who is at your door.
- Do not open the door to anyone you do not know without first verifying the person's identity. This includes police officers, repair, delivery or salespersons, and political or charity volunteers.
- Ask to see identification. Have the person slip their identification card under the door. If you have any doubts about the person, look up the telephone number in the telephone directory and call the company or agency the person claims to represent.(Do not rely on telephone numbers given to you by strangers at your door, the telephone number they give you could be an accomplice.)
- Do not open the door to a stranger requesting help or the use of your telephone. Offer to make the telephone call yourself while the stranger waits outside.
- When a package is delivered, ask that the parcel be left outside the door. Receipts that require a signature can be slipped under the door. Open the door and pick up the package only when you are positive the delivery person has left.
- Never allow a stranger into a security entrance. This includes someone asking to leave a package or a note for a neighbor.
- Children should be trained not to answer the door.
- Place only your first initial and last name on mailboxes and building directories. List only your first initial and last name in the telephone directory. Do not list your address. Engrave all your valuable property. Keep a record of the serial numbers of valuable equipment. Photograph or videotape other valuables. Keep photographs, videotapes and records of serial numbers separate from your valuables in a safe at home or in a safe-deposit box.
Preventing Robbery On The Steet or On The Road
Protecting Your Vehicle
- Choose busy, well-lighted streets and avoid isolated areas, alleys, vacant lots, abandoned buildings and construction sites.
- Walk near the curb and do not pass too close to shrubbery, dark doorways and other places of concealment.
- Be aware that wearing earphones connected to iPods, portable radios, cassette and CD players while walking can distract you and make you less able to sense potential danger.
- Do not display money or credit cards.
- Unless absolutely necessary, never wear expensive jewelry or carry large amounts of money.
- Keep your money and wallet in the inside pocket of your jacket or purse.
- Secure your purse or handbag under your arm so that it cannot be easily snatched.
Keeping School Kids Safe from Robberies
Students walking to and from school often have cell phones, ipods or other electronic items which are attractive to robbers. Here are a couple tips to guard against these crimes.
- Discourage or restrict the use of these devices at school.
- If a student continues to use them, encourage him/her to keep it hidden in a purse, pocket or bag while walking to and from school.
Staying Safe In The Car
- Keep doors locked and windows up.
- Driving in the center lane makes you a more difficult robbery target, leave room to maneuver and escape when stopped.
- Keep valuables out of sight.
- Park in lots or garages with attendants.
- Park in open and well-lighted areas, never let a high profile vehicle or truck hide a robber.
- Be aware of your surroundings when walking to and from your vehicle and be wary of strangers approaching you – trust your instincts and drive away when you feel threatened.
- Approach your vehicle with your key in hand, look in and around your car before entering.
- Never pick up hitchhikers.
- If you see another motorist in trouble, do not stop. As you drive by, signal the motorist that you are going to get help then find a pay telephone or use your cellular telephone to call for assistance.
- If you have car trouble, wait inside your car with the doors locked and the windows closed until the LAPD, highway patrol, sheriff, or other trusted person arrives to assist you. If someone stops and offers you help, do not get out of the car and ask the person to help by calling LAPD or a towing service for you. Do not roll down the window, even slightly, communicate with the person through the closed window.
- Minor car accidents are sometimes planned by criminals to set up a "bump and rob" or "carjacking." If you feel your car was "bumped" intentionally, remain inside your locked car, windows rolled up. Signal the other driver to follow you to the nearest LAPD, sheriff or highway patrol station to report the incident. Do not get out of your car to inspect the damage. If your car cannot be driven, remain in your car, use your cellular telephone (if you have one) to call for assistance. If not, sound the horn to attract attention and wait for help to arrive.
- If the "carjacker" is armed, don't resist. Give up your vehicle and get away as soon as possible.
Preventing Car Break-Ins
- Lock up when you leave your car and take the keys with you.
- Close all windows — professional thieves have tools that unlock cars through the smallest openings.
- Be sure vent or wind-wing windows are shut tight.
- When you park the car, remove cellular phones, cassette players and other valuable possessions. Do not leave gift-wrapped packages or cameras lying on the seat. Lock all valuables in your trunk or take them with you.
- With an electric engraver, etch your driver’s license number (preceded by the letters “CA”) on cassette players and other valuable items.
- Lock your car even if you are making a quick stop at the gas station, convenience store or mini-mall.
- Don’t leave an auto in unattended public parking lots for an extended period.
- At night, park in well-lit areas with lots of people around.
- Turn wheels sharply toward the curb when parking, this makes it extra difficult for thieves to tow your car.
- Use anti-theft devices such as alarms (siren, horn, or lights), interior hood lock release, second ignition switch or “kill switch,” fuel switch, locking gas cap, locking devices for steering wheel, brake pedal, batteries, wheels, decks, etc.