Los Altos Police Urge Residents to Report Suspicious Activity

The success of law enforcement is always dependent upon a strong relationship between the Police and the community. The City of Los Altos is an extremely safe city and after seeing a decrease in residential burglaries last year, we have seen an increase in burglaries over the past nine weeks. These burglaries have occurred primarily in the southern area of the city.

The suspects are entering residences through unlocked doors and windows, kicking in side doors or prying open windows. In two cases, suspects obtained garage door openers from unlocked vehicles and used them to access the garage and ultimately burglarize the homes during the evening. Los Altos Police are addressing the issue through predictive policing (crime analysis), evidence processing, increased patrols (both marked units and undercover units), collaborative efforts with neighboring agencies and release of information through local media outlets.

The Los Altos Police Department is actively seeking to identify suspects in these burglaries. With that said, we need your help. Please call us if you observe suspicious individuals, suspicious vehicles or any unusual activity that is out of the ordinary, such as individuals going door to door. Anytime something that just does not seem right to you, call us right away. You can dial 9-1-1 or (650) 947-2779.

Attached is a Home Security Handbook, which contains information regarding home security measures including alarms, exterior lighting, doors, windows, locks and more. We encourage you to contact us to set up an appointment for a home inspection. Home inspections give us the opportunity to meet with you personally at your residence and answer any specific questions you may have pertaining to your home or general crime prevention tips to keep your loved ones and property safe.

To set up a home inspection, contact Officer Josh Cottrell at (650) 947-2775 or jcottrell@losaltosca.gov.

Tips to Keep Your Home Safe:

• When moving into a new home or if you lose your keys, always have locks re-keyed. This does not require replacement of the lock itself – a locksmith can change the tumblers in your door locks quickly and inexpensively.
• Do not leave an “emergency” key under the doormat, on top of the door frame or in any other “hiding spot” well-known to burglars.
• Never attach a name, address or license tag to your house keys or your children’s keys. If keys are lost or stolen, you may have an unwelcome visitor.
• Never leave your house keys with an attendant when you go to the car wash or parking lot.
• Be sure to light exterior doorways from dusk to dawn so a burglar cannot hide to break in. Motion detector lights are another great option to consider.
• Keep doorways, windows and porches clear of shrubbery to eliminate hiding spots for burglars.
• Prune large trees that could be climbed by a burglar to gain entry into your home.
• Large gates and well-maintained fences can make break-ins more difficult and prevent the removal of large items.

For more safety tips, be sure to review the Home Security Handbook. Share this information with your friends and neighbors and encourage them to sign-up for Nixle alerts from the Los Altos Police Department at www.Nixle.com.