Though CyberWatch’s main focus is home burglary, we are again publishing a list of all crimes in South Shores for which police reports were filed. The time frame is Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2020.

While there were no home burglaries in the 3rd quarter, the 4th quarter saw 3 such crimes.  In one of the “home burglaries”, the entry was into a garage where the door had been inadvertently left open all night. The living area of the home was not entered, but because the garage is attached to the home, it’s technically classified as a home burglary. These used to be called “opportunity thefts”.  We saw a similar burglary of a garage last summer.

HOME BURGLARIES – 3
Oct. 19: 2200 blk of W. 25th St. – 12:30 p.m.
Nov. 6: 2200 blk of Mantis Ave, – 2:30 a.m.
Dec. 8: 1600 blk of W. 21St. St. – 11:10 p.m.

ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON – 1
Oct. 1:  Paseo del Mar and Western Ave. – 8:30 p.m.

STOLEN VEHICLE – 1
Nov. 7:  Paseo del Mar and Graysby – 10:00 p.m.

THEFT FROM VEHICLE – 2
Nov. 7:  2100 blk of Paseo del Mar. (Petty theft: less than $950). – overnight.
Dec. 9:  2100 blk of 25th St. (Petty theft: less than $950). – overnight.

SUMMING UP THE 4TH QUARTER: Thanks to the involvement of South Shores residents and its 588 CyberWatch members, South Shores continues to be one of safest communities in the South Bay. Thanks also go to our Harbor LAPD partners and Senior Lead Officer Shortle. The number of crimes in San Pedro in the 4th quarter totaled 325. The total number of crimes for this same period in South Shores: 7. This is one third the crime rate per capita of San Pedro’s overall population. We can maintain this fine record only through our continued vigilance and reporting. The recent increase in video surveillance systems like Ring doorbell, Simplisafe and Nest has certainly aided the effort.

Most crimes caused by “porch pirates” and “car burglars” are not reported to police.  These types of crimes, reported often on social media, appear to be on the increase. We are also noting an increase in thefts of catalytic converters from vehicles. This type of theft is an attractive option to criminals. Low risk; high return. The precious metals, usually platinum, in these auto parts are being removed in seconds using small, battery operated hand tools.

Best practices to avoid becoming a victim:

  • Don’t open your door to someone you don’t know.
  • If you need to leave your home…even for a short time…be sure all windows and locks are locked. Also lock your patio doors..a favorite entry point for home burglars.
  • Be sure to lock your vehicle every night. Make it look completely empty. We’ve seen numerous videos of persons walking down the street trying every door handle on the street and in driveways. Most of these occur between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. every night of the week.

And, if you see a person or activity that looks suspicious, report it to CyberWatch. Note date, time and location.

If you see a crime being committed or about to be committed, call 911 at once.