LAPD Promotes New Technology to Fight Doorstep Bandits

By DAYNA DRUM | Reporter

In a drive to defeat crime with high technology, LAPD is endorsing a new wave of devices that keep a watchful eye on a home’s front porch even when the resident is away.

At a Pacific Palisades Community Council (PPCC) meeting on Thursday, June 9, LAPD Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore highlighted the need with an account of a suspect dubbed the Doorstep Bandit.

The white, blonde, female suspect was caught on an internet-linked camera fitted inside a doorbell.

The suspect was rifling through packages on the doorstep of a home near Paul Revere Middle School.

“It’s not going to be hard to locate this person and make an arrest,” Moore said, adding that the individual is likely linked to similar crimes in the area.

“Without devices like this, these package thefts are almost unsolvable,” Moore warned.

The technology comes from new companies such as Ring and August, which offer a different approach to home security.

With a variety of device options, users are able to videotape and speak to house callers via a mobile app.

But it doesn’t stop there—users are also able to use a smartphone to remotely lock and unlock their front doors to allow access to various callers.

Both companies’ products come with a price tag around $200.

While LAPD doesn’t promote any particular brand, said Moore, the department is pushing this type of technology to ensure safer package deliveries as well as general home security.

He said he had heard stories that thieves follow delivery trucks on their routes to spot the untended package, but did not know of such crimes personally.

A couple of PPCC board members and Moore himself utilize such devices and said they were easy to set up and use.

On top of this technology, Moore reminded Palisadians they can have packages sent to pick-up centers or ask a neighbor to watch out for deliveries. And bandits.

Package thefts have been an ongoing problem in the Palisades over the last several months. Just last week, a Hispanic male was also caught on a home surveillance camera allegedly stealing a package. While Moore said he was unsure if the suspect was linked to the Doorstep Bandit, he couldn’t rule it out. To make a tip regarding a crime text “CRIMES” (274637) or can be made online at lapdonline.org.