Here is the list of police reports our South Shores neighbors filed with the Harbor LAPD during the 2nd quarter (April 1 to June 30) of this year.

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY – 1
May 3: 1900 block of Cumbre Drive – 2:30 p.m.

VEHICLE BREAK-IN THEFT – 3
April 2:  3400 block of Gurnard Ave. – Grand theft ($950.01 or more) – 11:37 a.m.
May 21:  Paseo del Mar and Western Ave. – 2:30 p.m.
May 24: 1800 block of W. 20th St. – 12:15 a.m.

THEFT FROM PERSON – 1
April 16: Moray Ave. and Western Ave. – 3:55 p.m.

Home burglaries continue to be more rare in South Shores. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused more people to stay home during the day. Before COVID-19, most burglaries happened in the daytime when folks were away at work, school or on errands.

Let’s not take false comfort that this reduction in burglaries is a trend. The bad guys are still trying to figure out how to get our stuff. Though not always reported to police, we’re seeing an increase in vehicle break-ins. More recently, there’s been an uptick in catalytic converter thefts from cars. In less than a minute, crooks slide under cars and using a small, battery powered hand tool, remove these expensive auto parts. They then sell them to “fences” and get cash for the precious metals they contain…like rhodium and platinum. Criminals net approximately $700 for each converter they sell. Targeted vehicles include Toyota Prius, Honda Accord, and pickup trucks.  

One preventative measure: park in well-traveled lit areas – not always possible.  Another measure: some muffler shops in San Pedro install “cages” to encase the catalytic converters. This “cage” makes it more difficult for the converter to be cut out. One nearby shop gave us a quote of $100 – $200, cage included. Depending on the vehicle, replacing a stolen catalytic converter can run from several hundred to thousands of dollars. Remember, if you park your car on the street or in your driveway overnight, be sure to strip it of all articles, valuable or otherwise, and lock it. Most vehicle break-ins occur between 2:00 – 4:30 a.m.

Good news: with 609 residents now signed up as CyberWatch members, South Shores continues to be one of the safest neighborhoods in the LAPD’s Harbor Division.