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Ritzy California neighborhood is living in fear amid alarming crime spike - as residents resort to extreme tactics to protect themselves
Encino residents are living in fear after a recent spike in burglaries.
The normally affluent neighborhood in this San Fernando Valley neighborhood has seen a 40% increase in residential break-ins compared to the previous month, far exceeding the citywide average.
This surge has prompted residents to take drastic measures, including hiring armed guards, purchasing firearms, and forming neighborhood watch groups.
The local police department has increased patrols and assigned additional investigators to the case, but residents feel overwhelmed by the situation.
With at least 10 burglaries reported in just one month, residents believe the actual number is higher.
Encino residents are living in fear after a recent spike in burglaries
The normally affluent neighborhood in this San Fernando Valley neighborhood has seen a 40% increase in residential break-ins compared to the previous month, far exceeding the citywide average
The dramatic increase, far surpassing the citywide average, has ignited a sense of panic.
Some have even taken to hiring armed guards or purchasing firearms for self-protection.
'In all my years working and living in Encino, I have never participated in conversations where people said, 'Yeah, I'm going to go get a gun.' But now they are,' president of the Encino Property Owners Association Robert Glushon told the LA Times.
Encino has been disproportionately targeted by burglars compared to the rest of Los Angeles.
While citywide residential burglaries increased by 4% year-over-year, the Encino area south of the 101 Freeway saw a staggering 40% surge between June and July.
Captain Brian Wendling of the LAPD West Valley Division dismissed the notion of an Encino crime wave.
While acknowledging a recent uptick in burglaries in a specific area, he emphasized that overall crime rates in the West Valley have actually decreased by 19% compared to the previous year.
'I can't emphasize this enough that people tend to overreact to spikes and dips in crime all the time,' Wendling said. 'There was an increase in a very small area that was responded to very quickly by West Valley.'
Wendling said the media's hawk eye on Encino's rising crime is making it seem as though the police are not acting fast enough.
Five suspects are on the run after burglarizing an Encino sneaker store early Wednesday morning, leading police on a high-speed chase (Pictured: Encino Police at the crime scene)
'We are taking it extremely seriously,' he said. 'We need the media's help to to cool the temperature, so to speak. We try to reduce the incidence of crime, and then secondarily we try to reduce the fear of crime. That's what really got blown out of proportion.'
But frequency and brazenness of the break-ins have created a climate of anxiety. People are taking matters into their own hands, from forming neighborhood watch groups to confronting strangers on the street.
Five suspects are on the run after burglarizing an Encino sneaker store early Wednesday morning. The break-in is the latest in a string of burglaries plaguing the neighborhood, according to local ABC affiliate KABC.
An Encino homeowner was awakened by the sound of breaking glass on Monday. By the time police arrived at the Firmament Avenue residence, the intruders had fled.
Another home was targeted just hours later less than three miles away, with residents reporting two suspects inside their Mooncrest Drive home. The terrified homeowners barricaded themselves in a bedroom after multiple intruders smashed through their back door, reported NBC4 News.
'Deeply alarmed' about the escalating crime, Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman has vowed to take action. He held a meeting Thursday with local officials and police to address the crime uptick.
In response, the LAPD has stepped up patrols and deployed additional investigators to the area. The department is also enlisting the help of volunteer reserves to combat the surge in burglaries.
Despite increased police presence, the fear persists. As residents grapple with the rising tide of crime, the community is divided over how to respond. Some believe more guns are the answer, while others advocate for increased community engagement and police support.
Resident Stephanie Rosenthal, have become hypervigilant, snapping photos of unfamiliar cars and confronting strangers.
The local police department has increased patrols and assigned additional investigators to the case, but residents feel overwhelmed by the situation
'We just have to make ourselves present and not let anyone case out the neighborhood,' she said. 'You have to be willing to interrogate anyone ... if they're taking chances, so will we.'
While urging residents to be cautious, Captain Wendling cautioned against jumping to conclusions. He emphasized that the suspects are often outsiders, operating across a wide geographic area.
'It doesn't matter where you live,' Wendling said. 'It's not just endemic to Los Angeles. It's not just endemic to California. It's coast-to-coast.'