Alphabets Again Insecure About Lack of Security

By TRILBY BERESFORD | Reporter

An experiment in resident-funded private security has come to an abrupt end in the Alphabet Streets. In April, Mara Security Solutions was hired to perform a nightly patrol around the Alphabet Streets for a 30-day test period. The compact Scion iQ car became familiar to many of the 250 residents who had committed to pool-funding the operation, set to initially cost $25 a month. Street coverage was expected to increase when more residents contributed funds.

However, the contract was not renewed—although Mara said it carried on the patrols for a while after the test period. A spokesman for the Granada Hills-based security company, only identifying himself as Alex, implied that the deal ended unhappily due to an auto-related “incident.” This is believed to relate to a 1 a.m. incident when the patrol spotted and followed a van out of the Alphabet Streets, believing it might be involved in auto part theft, but it slipped away down Chautauqua. “We did more than we were paid for,” the Mara spokesman said.

The experimental security scheme was almost entirely organized by long-term resident Saswati Ramaswami, who also organized a demonstration of Ring home protection video systems at the Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club.

When asked by the Palisadian-Post what had gone wrong, Ramaswami said: “It should have been 16-hour surveillance shifts rather than eight hours, but myself and five or six other volunteers could not collect money door to door promised by residents to support that. The problem still remains.”

The area has been targeted by thieves specializing in removing catalytic converters from underneath Prius models parked in the streets or driveways. Despite higher public awareness, this spike in property crimes has carried on.

Residents say that since many live in homes built in the 1950s, they do not have the choice to park in garages. Many are installing car alarms and Ring devices after the latest crime spate.

Residents are hoping these issues will be raised at a forthcoming meeting of the Pacific Palisades Community Council, which is normally attended by representatives of Los Angeles Police Department.