PACIFIC PALISADES—Pacific Palisades residents are putting up makeshift roadblocks and hiring private security to deter thieves from burglarizing vacant properties. Community members say thefts are rising at construction sites and unoccupied lots as homeowners work to rebuild. Materials such as copper piping and pool equipment have been reported missing, and the Los Angeles Police Department recorded eight burglaries in the area in June alone. Thieves took thousands of dollars’ worth of tools and equipment from storage containers.
Many families lost their homes in the Palisades Fire of January 2025, more than 6,837 structures were destroyed by the fire. Homeowners have struggled to secure insurance payouts. As they try to rebuild, homeowners say thieves are repeatedly targeting the same properties. Neighbors organized a neighborhood watch to report suspicious activity, and one resident built an AI-powered app to alert others when it detects activity in the area.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park sent a letter to LAPD leadership requesting increased police presence in the Palisades. According to the New York Post, her office says the department has allocated four more officers to patrol the area. LAPD Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin pushed back on residents’ description of the situation as a crisis. “I am hearing a lot of the chatter of a huge crime increase, but on my end through LAPD, we are not seeing it,” Espin said.
Espin maintains that crime in the area has fallen sharply, a claim that puts him at odds with residents who say the problem is ongoing. Despite residents’ efforts to protect their properties, they say thieves have not been deterred and keep returning to the same sites.
By Milan Manesh