Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station Capt. Robert Hahnlein recommends the following safety precautions to help prevent residential burglaries:
- Consider trimming bushes in front of your doors or windows since they can act as hiding places for burglars.
- Install motion sensor lights and a camera around your house. Also, make sure you can view the footage from the cameras on your phone.
- Locks on doors: “Make it difficult for criminals to enter your home by installing competent locks on all doors,” said Hahnlein. “The most common entry for criminals is from the rear of the home through back doors and sliding back doors.”
- For valuables, get a quality safe and bolt it in your closet or garage.
- Join or start a neighborhood watch group, and make sure to tell your neighbors when you will be on vacation, so they can notify the police if they see someone on your property. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department also offers vacation patrol checks while you are away from your home to make sure everything is secure and there are no signs of suspicious activity.
- For more information on how to safeguard your home, officers can also stop by and make some suggestions.
LCF does have its own neighborhood watch programs. For those interested email Eric Matejka at ematejka@lcf.ca.gov.
For any questions or concerns, residents are encouraged to call the station at (818) 248-3464. To view the video, visit cityoflcf.org/safety-tip-of-the-month-2/.
First published in the June 29 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
