Recent Residential Burglaries

Mattey's Mom January 15, 2012 at 01:30 pm

Thank you for posting list. Wondering why the dates of these break-ins Aren't included. We live in the immidiate Jadestone area + this is at least the third house hit within a block. We also heard in one instance that a woman was seen "scouting" homes + drove off in an old Mercedes when spotted + yelled after.
I have forwarded this alert to neighbors + suggest you do the same.

Alan Taylor, Estate Agent January 15, 2012 at 03:31 pm

Hi Doug, also it would be a good idea for Ron to provide with the information what the industry best tips are for how to avoid being the next victim. Break-ins are a part of life and it happens even in the most expensive areas of LA. By providing tips on things homeowners can do to prevent them from being the next victim should be the point of sharing this information.

Madeline Bailey January 15, 2012 at 03:36 pm

yes, exactly. When were these crimes committed? We live on Valley Vista just east of the14200 and noticed an unfamiliar old white sedan parked across the street from our house last weekend. At least two men got out of the car and headed west on foot. I thought perhaps they were distributing flyers but I'm not sure.

Karen Davis January 16, 2012 at 01:28 pm

Alan Taylor: you are wrong to suggest that this level is simply "part of life." We subscribe to crimemapping.com, which forwards crimes listed on the police blotter within 24 hours of their occurrences. Having moved to Sherman Oaks in August, we find the level of crimes here MOST ALARMING to the point that we are looking to move away this summer. We have lived in Hancock Park, South Pasadena and the Fairfax area. We have subscribed to the service the whole time over the seven years we've been in LA, renting homes. This area is the most burglarized we have faced and the crimes are reported daily. Not true of any of the other areas. The Jadestone crime was reported last week, Tuesday or Wednesday. I know this as I have a friend who lives next door to the home burglarized and alerted them immediately. MORE POLICE ACTION AND VIGILANCE IS NEEDED in Sherman Oaks. This is NOT NORMAL!!!!

Vikki and Jack Flam 'Your Security Professionals" January 16, 2012 at 02:13 pm

Hi Alan and all homeowners: I am Vikki Flam and my husband Jack and I own Flam's Lock and Key, the oldest locksmith in Sherman Oaks, owned by 3 generations since 1952. We are the experts when it comes to home and business security yet many people still look to the police for advice on how to best protect them. Although against police policy we have been asked to speak to neighborhood watch groups by senior lead officers 'because' they know physical security is not their business. We are also asked to speak annually at the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association and we were the only security professional asked to set up a booth this last year at the LAPD Night out at the Van Nuys police station.
Flam's has established itself as an expert in protecting life and property, not an easy feat in a scam ridden locksmith industry. We are always happy to speak to groups, HOA's, etc., at no charge as we are a company that cares, has unmatched knowledge and a reputation built on trust and integrity. We speak on the goal of security, how to secure a door, not just your locks, the value of high security locks, key bumping, inexpensive ways to beef up door security, how to qualify a good security professional before handing them your keys and why an alarm is your second line of defense, not the first. Choosing the right locksmith is your first step in vigilance. Visit us at www.flamslockandkey.com

Karen Davis January 16, 2012 at 03:02 pm

Listed on CrimeMapping.com today:
THEFT FROM VEHICLE - PETTY ($950 & under) 120904705 3700 STONE CANYON AV Los Angeles Police 1/14/2012 3:30:00 PM Map It THEFT FROM VEHICLE - PETTY ($950 & under) 120904712 3600 STONE CANYON AV Los Angeles Police 1/14/2012 2:00:00 PM Map It

michaelh January 16, 2012 at 11:27 pm

My name is Michael Hecht. I live on Encanto Dr. near Stone Canyon. So, our cars have been broken into various times in the 12 years we have lived here. We think that one of the risk factors is building crews in the neighborhood, another is gardners, or other workers who are in and out of the area. Also, we have had people come to the door in obvious attempts at scamming. We have found that reporting to the police is a long, laborious process and takes quite a lot of time even over the phone and does not result in tangible results. I would ask people to do what you are doing, which is report suspicious vehicles and also pedestrians, not only to Patch, but also your neighborhood watch captains and for those watch captains to be conscientious in reporting to the residents. It would be helpful, for example in the two reports of sightings above, if the reporters had mentioned the race of the men, or of the woman driving the Mercedes, as this is an all-too-common car in this area. Color of the car would also be helpful. Just ask ourselves what would be useful info if we had to make a momentary decision about a visitor to our neighborhood. Let's all be vigilant and we can at least make it unpleasant for such malicious visitors to our neighborhoods. thank you.

PM January 17, 2012 at 02:19 am

I have been burglarized twice. The second time was violent. The house was ransacked and the dogs pepper sprayed and beaten (and these are large dogs). LA gave up on Sherman Oaks when they opened the freeway on/off ramps and did nothing to protect the neighboring streets. It is an easy neighborhood to case, rob and get back on the freeway. It is obvious that the neighborhood is becoming extremly dangerous. It is also clear that the police have been useless. I am a pro-police person but when we came home to each of the burglaries, it took over 90 minutes for the police to arrive as we waited outside. Though the house was ransacked the police NEVER came to take finger prints. If the city would begin to block the pass through streets and force all traffic heading to the 405/101 to use Venture and Sepulveda that would stop alot of the crime. No one wants to step up and call a spade a spade here - the neighborhood is falling through the cracks.

Scott Killeen January 17, 2012 at 03:24 pm

It's NOT the police fault when people think a dog is a valid security device, leave their garage doors open, have wrought iron fences to backyards, don't have motion sensitive lighting around their house, leave expensive gift boxes sticking out of trash cans, leave kids toys laying around, newspapers not picked up, leave out going mail FOR the mailman to pick up, they leave items inside their cars, some people don't even lock their car doors, house windows without locks, no dead bolt backdoor lock...
Sherman Oaks is within a valley with 1.7 million people, do the odds they are not getting better every year. Not everyone is a good person.

PM January 17, 2012 at 03:42 pm

The city's inaction towards Sherman Oaks lies at city hall. They knew crime would rise with the on/off ramps and did nothing to prepare for it. Encino has neighborhood streets blocked to thru traffic at Kester off ramp - a simple solution which would have stopped a lot of this crime - but it would have forced more traffic onto the Ventura/Sepulveda intersection. We do need more of a police presense during the day in Sherman Oaks - it is obvious. We don't need them after the crime, we need them before to help deter crime. This mayor has sold this area of the valley down the river.

Karen Davis January 17, 2012 at 04:17 pm

Getting homeowners to subsidize a gate/guard at Del Gado, Royal Woods and Valley Meadow might help.

Vikki and Jack Flam 'Your Security Professionals" January 17, 2012 at 06:07 pm

Hi, Vikki Flam ( Flam's Lock and Key) again in response to PM. You comment that we don't need the police "after the crime" but before, to help deter crime, also applies to our locksmith buisness. You need good 'high security' locks "before" you are a victim, not after.The goal of security is so simple, if your home or business is harder to break into than your neighbors than you have accomplished the goal.You can never prevent crime but you can decrease your odds that you will be a victim.

Karen Davis January 19, 2012 at 12:23 pm

Yesterday, 1/18: BURGLARY (entry of structure w/intent to commit theft or a felony) INCLUDES VESSELS Case #12100475, 15600 ROYAL OAK RD Los Angeles Police 1/18/2012 2:15:00 PM