Crime stats show overall decrease in burglaries in San Fernando Valley, LAPD says

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Despite a recent series of high-profile burglaries in Encino and throughout the San Fernando Valley, the Los Angeles Police Department said statistics show an overall decrease of such crimes in the area.

"We are paying attention to that -- when we see spikes that go up in neighborhoods. There was one particular neighborhood that had six crimes that occurred over a four-week period," LAPD West Valley Division Capt. Brian Wendling told ABC7 in an interview. "One of those houses was the same house hit twice. So it was five victims."

According to the 2020 census, the San Fernando Valley has a population of more than 1.5 million. Despite the rash of widely publicized break-ins Encino, Wendling said, the total number of burglaries in the division has dropped.

"As of August 3rd in West Valley, we were down 119 victims fewer this year than last year in the crime of burglary," Wendling said. "And that is a substantial reduction, almost 19%."

Earlier this year, LAPD Interim Chief Dominic Choi released statistics that showed a 9.5% increase in robberies citywide. Violent crime was up 2.9% compared to March 2023.

The suspects broke into the store around 3 a.m. Wednesday, according to police, but when officers arrived, they took off, leaving behind a trail of cash.

"We have an increase citywide," Wendling acknowledged, "but in the San Fernando Valley it's a decrease this year."

At events such as Tuesday's National Night Out, LAPD officials have been engaging in community outreach, raising awareness of the agency's efforts to reduce burglaries.

Wendling says residents should be vigilant.

"They have to start paying attention," he said. "They have to start looking out for their neighbors in a lot more of a fashion than they have in the past. This is going on in the middle of the day, it's going on at night, but we need the community's help."