Crime & Safety

LAPD: More Cops to Fight Thefts in NoHo Arts District

The local police station is deploying more officers to combat a recent uptick in thefts from cars and gym lockers.

In an effort to curb a recent surge of thefts in the NoHo Arts District, the Los Angeles Police Department announced Wednesday it would be stepping up its presence in the area for the next three months.

While at a press conference at the Metro Red Line Station, Capt. Justin Eisenberg of the North Hollywood Community Police Station said Type 1 crimes, which encompass vehicle burglaries, bicycle thefts and gym locker break-ins, are up 20 percent year-to-date from 2011.

"That's a tremendous increase, but it's preventable. That's the lesson I want you to take away today," he said.

Eisenberg said the opening of the 24 Hour Fitness on Lankershim Boulevard last year sparked an explosion of thefts.

Most of the recently stolen goods are personal belongings like cellphones that are being snatched from lockers at the local gym.

Thieves are taking advantage of unlocked lockers, but they are breaking into locked ones as well, he said.

Laptops, GPS systems and personal documents left on car seats are also stolen from vehicles in nearby parking structures, Eisenberg said.

"Hide it, lock it, keep it," was a piece of advice the captain offered. "Don't bring your valuables to the gym and leave them in unsecured lockers, don't become a crime stat," Eisenberg said.

In the next 90 days, he said the LAPD would deploy a special task force in the NoHo Arts District that would entail more officers patrolling the streets on foot as well as on T-3 stand-up vehicles and bicycles.

Undercover officers will also be put to use.

Some officers would also keep their eyes on the Metro Red Line Station and ride the subway, Eisenberg said.

L.A. City Councilman Paul Krekorian also spoke about the task force during the press conference.

"We're going to be here in force, in visible force, as the captain mentioned, but also undercover force to ensure that those who come to this community to try to ruin the success that we're seeing here, those who try to come to this community to take advantage of others, are not going to succeed in doing that," he said.

Eisenberg said some criminals are roaming parking structures at night, strolling from car to car looking for valuables, the kind of activity that people should report if they witness it.

"I think with all these efforts in the next three months, we're going to turn this crime problem around," said the captain.

The task force is funded by the NoHo Business Improvement District.


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