CYBERWATCH UPDATE: 2023 3RD QUARTER CRIME REPORT FOR SOUTHSHORES

Hi folks,

Here’s your 2023 Quarterly Crime Summary* for July 1 through September 30, 2023.

Congratulations!  No home burglaries last quarter.  This is a credit to all 626 South Shores CyberWatch members and our valued partnership with Senior Lead Officer Melody Shortle of the Harbor LAPD. 

See the attached San Pedro map to view South Shores crimes with the rest of San Pedro.  

Your vigilance and reporting  have made South Shore home break-ins a bit too risky for crooks. But the bad guys are still out there. They still want your stuff.  They’ve just shifted their crimes from homes to cars. They prefer that lower risk of detection and the efficiency of movement that brings them higher rewards by night’s end.

Stolen vehicles, stolen catalytic converters and car break-in thefts are all on the upswing.  

Cars most vulnerable to catalytic converter theft:  

  • Toyota Prius, Ford F Series trucks (no need to jack up the truck for theft),
  • Honda Accord, Toyota Prius, Honda CR-V and Ford Explorer.  Easy clearance for cat. converter removal and higher value of precious metals in these cars make them targets of choice.

Best practice:  park in well-lighted areas, consider installing a rebar cage around the converter.

From $100 to $200 at some San Pedro body shops.

 SOUTH SHORES QUARTERLY CRIME REPORT – JULY 1 to SEPT 30, 2023

HOME BURGLARY – 0

  • None in the 3rd Quarter.

GRAND THEFT ($250.01 AND MORE)

  • August  8 – 1700 block of Pelican Ave. – 12:00 p.m.  Evicted tenants took the rental home’s stove and refrigerator when they left.

PETTY THEFT ($250.00 and less)

  • September 8 – Mantis and Moray – 12:00 p.m.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT

  • July 2 – 1600 block of W. 25th St. – 5:30 p.m.
  • July 12 – 2000 block of S. Western Ave. – 5:40 a.m.
  • Aug. 8 – 2200 block of W. 37th St. – 9:00 p.m.

VEHICLE BREAK-IN THEFT

  • July 7 – 2200 block of Warmouth St. – 8:00 p.m.
  • July 11 – 1800 block of Vallecito  Dr. – 1:00 a.m.
  • September 19 – 3000 block of S. Anchovy Ave. – 10:00 p.m.
  • September 30 – 2300 block of S. Western Ave. – 8:00 a.m.

Please remember, folks, the crimes shown here are only those filed in LAPD police reports.  Many petty thefts and catalytic converter thefts go unreported and do not appear here.

VACANT HOMES IN SOUTH SHORES

Stay tuned for more information about CyberWatch’s collaboration with SSCA to provide useful information to owners of vacant homes in South Shores.  Such unoccupied homes are ripe targets for squatters and trespassers. The process for removing either can become a lengthy and stressful experience for the owner.

Questions:

  1.  What’s the difference between a squatter and a trespasser?
  2.  A squatter’s objectiveis to break into a neglected vacant home, eventually gain title and become owner of that property.  

Under California Squatter’s Rights, a squatter can gain ownership of a home by living there and paying property taxes for 5 consecutive years.  Provided, of course, there’s no objection from a legitimate owner. This situation tends to be more common in rural and lower income areas.  Less common in areas like South Shores.

A trespasser’s objective:   Break into a home, change the locks, move in furniture, put the utilities in the trespasser’s name and enjoy an upscale lifestyle… all FREE from any rent or mortgage payments. Then, unless the rightful owner takes the necessary legal steps, the trespasser will linger in the home until this is done.  The trespasser may then insist on being paid a relocation fee as part of the eviction.

In 2019, in the 22nd St./Moray area, the trespasser asserted that, because his family consisted of one person under age 18 and one over age 65, he was entitled to a relocation fee of just over $26,000.  After several months, the issue was FINALLY resolved. But the process was less than smooth or stress-free.

Because of the low income housing crisis in Los Angeles, it’s anticipated that trespassers breaking into vacant homes could become more common.

As CyberWatch and SSCA work at developing protocols for owners of vacant homes, we look forward to expanding further on this subject next month. 

In the meantime, stay well.  Observe and report.

Bob