Valencia: Public Safety & Crime Information Report for the Week of 02/29/16- 03/06/16
The following crimes were reported last week:

Burglary – 24400 blk of Valencia Blvd. An unknown suspect entered the victim’s residence while he was at work. When the victim returned home at the end of workday, he noticed numerous items missing and his cats were outside. No signs of forced entry were observed at the location.

Burglary- 26000 blk of Tourelle Pl. An unknown suspect entered the location by kicking in the front door, and ransacked numerous rooms inside the home. A laptop computer and several other items were stolen from the location.

Attempted Burglary – 24100 blk of Del Monte Dr. An unknown suspect tried to gain entry into the victim’s residence by prying open the sliding glass door. The suspect was unable to gain entry and fled the location prior to the victim’s arrival.

Garage burglary – 25300 blk of Via Oriol. An unknown suspect entered the victim’s garage and stole a Specialized mountain bike.

Grand Theft – 24400 blk of Magic Mountain Pkwy. An unknown male suspect concealed four headphones from the store worth a total of $1200.00. The suspect paid for a smaller item and failed to pay for the head phones concealed on his person.

Grand Theft -24600 block of McBean Pkwy. Two unknown suspects entered the store and stole numerous handbags.

Grand Theft – 24100 blk of Valencia Blvd. An unknown suspect stole the victim’s catalytic converter from his pick-up truck.

Petty Theft occurred – 26100 blk of La Vita Ct. An unknown suspect stole a package from the front porch of the victim’s residence.

Petty Theft – 23500 blk of Bridgeport Ln. An unknown suspect entered the victim’s unlocked car and stole their wallet which contained numerous personal items and credit cards.

Burglary Prevention

Burglary is a crime of opportunity. Make their work risky and difficult, and you stand a good chance of stopping them before they get in.

On the outside looking in-
Burglars try the doors and windows first. If burglars have difficulty here, chances are
they will move on to another property.

Locks. The strongest are deadbolt locks with a minimum 1″ throw bolt containing a hardened, saw-resistant steel insert. Attach the strike plate to the door frame with 4″ screws. The double cylinder deadbolt lock requires a key from both sides, preventing a burglar from breaking glass in the door and turning the knob from the inside. Make sure the cylinder of the lock has a steel guard — a ring around the key section. The cylinder guard should be tapered, or it should rotate around the key section to prevent wrenching.

Remember, though, a double cylinder dead- bolt can also block your exit in an emergency. Check with your local law enforcement agency or building inspector to see if these locks are permitted in your area.

Hinges. Doors that swing out have hinges on the outside. A burglar can easily remove the hinge pins and lift the door out. To foil this, remove the center screw from each side of the hinge and insert a metal pin or headless screw on one side. When the door is closed, the end of the pin will fit into the opposite hole. Thus, even if the pins are removed, the door will remain bolted to the frame.

Padlocks. Overhead doors, receiving doors, garage doors — all are typically secured with padlocks and hasps. Look for sturdy padlocks that don’t release the key until the padlock is closed. The padlock should be case-hardened with a 3/8″ shackle to resist repeated smashing. Remember, a padlock is only as good as the hasps on which it is mounted; so bolt hasps securely to a metal plate, and make sure the bolts are concealed when the padlock is closed.

Door construction. Burglars can kick in a weak door. Replace hollow core doors with solid core doors, or strengthen the existing ones with metal sheets. Replace weak door frames, or reinforce them with steel or concrete. Protect glass in the door with steel bars or mesh; or place a polycarbonate sheet over the glass on the inside.

Windows
Protect windows by putting grates, grill work, or bars over them; or cover the glass on the inside with a clear polycarbonate sheet. The sheet should extend 1-1/2″ beyond the perimeter of the glass and be bolted to the door. Space the bolts approximately every 3 inches. Unbreakable safety glass is also available, but it is more expensive.

Other entrances
Skylights, ventilation ducts, and fire escapes tempt burglars because these openings usually are not visible from the street. Protect skylights and ducts with metal grates and iron bars. The first stair of a fire escape should be too high for the average adult to reach from the ground. The door or window leading to the escape should be equipped with emergency exit features: window guards should be removable or hinged to allow for an emergency exit. Keys to locked windows or door should be kept nearby.

As always please feel free to call me or email me.
Thank you, Deputy Brian Heischuber
baheisch@lasd.org 661-255-1121 EXT. 5164
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Twitter @SCVSheriff http://www.twitter.com/scvsheriff
SCV Station Homepage – http://www.santaclarita.lasd.org
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