Security cameras are coming to Altadena to combat surge in thefts. Some residents say it's not enough

Los Angeles Times

02-05-2025

New security cameras are arriving in Altadena as law enforcement attempts to stem skyrocketing rates of residential burglary in the fire-ravaged community, but some residents fear that won't be enough to keep thieves away.
From Jan. 1 to April 15, the number of residential burglaries reported in the Altadena area was up about 450% compared with the same period in 2024, according to data from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. For months, thieves have preyed on vulnerable homes in the abandoned community — ripping up copper pipes, smashing windows and doors, and stealing appliances, jewelry, power tools, instruments and even an Emmy award.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced Wednesday that deputies have started deploying enhanced security camera systems in the Eaton fire area to suppress theft and deter criminal activity.
'Security cameras are one of the most effective tools we have to reduce property crimes and support successful prosecutions,' Ethan Marquez, acting captain of the Altadena Sheriff's Station, said in a statement. 'Our goal is to protect the community, and these systems allow us to respond faster and with better information when crimes occur.'
The cameras will monitor high-traffic areas and provide video evidence that can be used to prosecute thieves, according to the Sheriff's Department. It is not clear how many cameras will be installed in the community.
While some residents were excited by the prospect of more surveillance in their neighborhoods, others were less optimistic about how effective the cameras will be at reducing crime. Several voiced a desire for neighborhood checkpoints staffed by the National Guard, which are currently in place to protect Pacific Palisades.
'Installing cameras to prevent crime in an area that's seen a spike in [burglaries] by 450% is like putting a Band-Aid over a blood-gushing gunshot wound,' said resident Natalie LaFourche, whose home was broken into in early April. 'The residents of Altadena want equity, not cameras. We want the same protections as the victims of the Palisades fire.'
In the Palisades, the National Guard continues to staff around half a dozen checkpoints that allow only residents and approved contractors to access the area.
In Altadena, which is a denser urban area with many more entry and exit points, the National Guard stopped operating traffic checkpoints on Jan. 21, according to a statement from the Sheriff's Department. The National Guard was reassigned to key intersections to help deter crime, before concluding operations in Altadena last week 'due to the absence of active traffic control needs,' the department said.
More than 140 residential burglaries were reported in the Altadena area from January through mid-April this year, according to Sheriff's Department data. Some homes have been hit multiple times.
Pacific Palisades has not experienced a comparable rise in crime. Twenty-three burglaries were reported from January through March this year in the Palisades, compared to 20 burglaries during the same time period last year, according to data from the Los Angeles Police Department.
'I guess it's harder to secure the neighborhood [of Altadena], but I wish they'd never let the National Guard go,' said resident Jenna Morris, whose home has been burglarized three times. 'That's what we need.'
On Thursday, the Sheriff's Department requested a redeployment of the National Guard in Altadena, but that request was denied by the California Office of Emergency Management, which instead offered the assistance of additional California Highway Patrol officers, according to the Sheriff's Department.
The department noted that while the National Guard can help with traffic control and disaster response, they are not peace officers and therefore cannot perform policing duties. The department accepted the offer of more CHP officers and is working to determine what additional resources they can provide in Altadena, officials said.
Morris and her husband, Howard, said the cameras were an encouraging step and one that might give them more peace of mind, but they also offer no guarantee of safety.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena, said in a statement Wednesday that the security cameras will be a 'critical tool to help law enforcement respond quickly and effectively to protect residents and their property.'
Madalyn Majors, one of the few Altadena residents who has moved back into the neighborhood, said she welcomes security cameras, but acknowledges that there will still be surveillance gaps in the community.
'It gives me hope that [sheriff's officials] are at least monitoring the situation and are aware and can take more drastic measures in the future once they've seen what sort of effect security cameras have,' she said. 'The fear that someone is just going to come in and drive away into the night mysteriously is not quite so great anymore.'
While Majors is grateful to be able to live at home, she remains on edge after dark. She has already paid to install security cameras and Starlink satellite internet to protect her home since WiFi is still down in the area.
Altadena resident Elena Amador-French, said many residents have already installed security cameras on their properties but that hasn't stopped criminals from pilfering items from homes.
'It's so brazen. These people come in and they see the camera as they come right up to them, no masks, no cover. ... We see their license plates,' she said. 'I'm just like, wow, what do you think this is? It's a free-for-all.'
Sheriff's officials are asking residents and business owners who have video evidence of crimes recorded on their personal security cameras to contact the Altadena Sheriff's Station.
Prior to launching the new security cameras, the Altadena Sheriff's Station already had several measures in place to try to combat the uptick in crime. They have been doubling and tripling the number of deputies on patrol, and running targeted operations with undercover deputies to catch thieves in action, officials said.
They have also launched the Altadena Home Check Program to provide routine check-ins on empty properties. Deputies have provided more than 14,000 checks on about 600 properties that have opted into the program.
Residents can sign up by emailing [e-mail] and providing their name, address and cellphone number.