As the San Gabriel Valley faces a rise in residential burglaries committed by “more sophisticated criminals,” officials in La Cañada Flintridge have stepped up police patrols and begun relying on new technology to thwart the crimes, the city announced Tuesday.
The city is working with the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Department and Los Angeles County to expand deputy deployments and is also trying to thieves who are using wireless technology to stop thieves from stealing cars, said Arabo Parseghian of the city’s Administrative Services Department.
“When it comes to wireless cameras, alarm systems and door sensors, many criminals turn to Wi-Fi jammers to counter them,” Parseghian said.
He said city officials have begun to realize that criminals are using Wi-Fi blocking devices to circumvent security systems and ensure homeowners aren’t alerted to a break-in.
After an attempted robbery several months earlier, sheriff’s deputies found items left behind by the robbers, confirming authorities’ suspicions, Parseguin said.
“The perpetrators left behind several devices, one of which was a Wi-Fi jammer, which we seized as part of the evidence in the robbery. We believe this is a recent trend among criminals.”
He added that there have been seven to eight thefts a month in the city recently.
The city plans to purchase Flock Safety cameras, which can read license plates and flag suspicious vehicles, including those with potential arrest warrants, and the city will also conduct undercover investigations in addition to increased patrols.
City officials are also encouraging homeowners to update the firmware on all firewalls and home security devices, as well as install glass detectors on their doors that can set off an alarm.
As the summer holidays approach, officials are encouraging residents to sign up for the Sheriff’s Office’s “Vacation Check” and to let people they trust know their plans.
“If you trust your neighbors and have a good relationship with them, let them know, ‘Hey, I’m going out of town.’