Griffith Park visitors should lock cars, hide valuables as break-ins increase, police say
Los Angeles police advised visitors to Griffith Park to lock their cars and hide their valuables amid a reported increase in vehicle burglaries this summer possibly due to organized groups.
So far in 2022, 121 car break-ins have been reported in the park, with 63 coming between May and August, according to LAPD statistics.
Burglaries from vehicles are up 2.9% year to date compared with 2021 in the LAPD’s Northeast Division, which includes areas surrounding Griffith Park as well as Silver Lake, Eagle Rock, Los Feliz and other neighborhoods.
“We have been tracking organized theft groups that have come from Northern California,” LAPD Det. Michael Ventura said Tuesday at a news conference in front of the Griffith Observatory.
Through surveillance footage captured in the park, investigators found that vehicles used by the suspects were rented in Northern California, he said.
The vehicles “originate in Northern California, come down here and go throughout, whether that’s in Griffith Park, Hollywood Division and sometimes we’ll even see them out in Venice Beach,” Ventura said.
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The LAPD and other agencies had previously investigated groups with similar operating methods, also from the Bay Area, in 2019. Those groups often targeted tourists visiting attractions or shopping centers on the city’s Westside such as the Beverly Center or Original Farmers Market.
The groups target vehicles with valuables left in sight, such as electronics, sunglasses, bags and even passports, but they also seek out rental vehicles, Ventura said.
Rental cars are easily identifiable and there is a greater likelihood that valuables, money and credit cards will be present, he said.
“Those tend to be targeted and hit much more often,” he said.
But Ventura also noted that the surge in break-ins at the park is “proportionate” and coincides with an increase in tourist and visitor activity as pandemic restrictions fall away.
“The more visitors we have, proportionately the more crime we’ve had,” he said.
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The incidents occur throughout the day and happen quickly; thieves are often in and out of a vehicle in just a few seconds, law enforcement officials said.
In one incident, an out-of-state visitor had $9,000 in cash and property taken from her vehicle, said Chief Park Ranger Joe Losorelli.
So far, the incidents have not been violent.
“We’ve had a number of follow-home robberies in the Hollywood Hills, but none of that has occurred here,” he said. “There are actual contacts between my suspects and my victims, so I’m grateful that nobody’s hurt.”
Thieves reportedly have targeted the most popular portions of the park, which is home to the observatory, well-trod hiking trails with views of the Hollywood sign, the Los Angeles Zoo, the Greek Theatre and a pair of golf courses.
“The easiest thing you can do is put your things away,” Ventura said. “We want people to come to the park — there’s so much they have to offer — but don’t leave your $500 sunglasses in plain view.”
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