West Hollywood Sheriff’s deputies have been rolling through residential neighborhoods on bicycles, targeting areas the department says have been hit hard by home burglaries, and they’re not slowing down. The West Hollywood Station’s COPS Team announced the patrols Monday on Instagram, posting photos of deputies in full tactical gear navigating streets on bikes, and the message to would-be burglars was pretty straightforward. They’re watching.
Bicycle units give deputies something a patrol car doesn’t. They can get into alleys, cut through residential blocks, and pull up to a front door without the noise and visibility of a cruiser announcing they’re coming. The COPS Team, which stands for Community-Oriented Policing Services, has been deploying the units specifically in the neighborhoods the department has identified as most affected by the recent uptick in residential break-ins, including a brazen daytime break-in on Poinsettia Place and a second-floor condo burglary near Hilldale Avenue where an 80-year-old resident confronted the suspect himself.
Residential burglaries have been a running problem in West Hollywood. The City has seen a string of brazen daytime incidents in recent months, and the department’s decision to put more bodies on bikes in the hardest-hit areas signals they’re taking it seriously. Visibility matters. So does presence.
Residents have been asking for bicycle and foot patrols for awhile. Looks like this is a step, or should we say a roll, in the right direction.
Anyone who spots something suspicious should report it. For emergencies, call 9-1-1. The West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station non-emergency line is (310) 855-8850.
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Now these are the teams we need rolling through the rainbow district/Sunset Blvd/Melrose as well. Get rid of the damn useless ambassador program and fully finance the COPS Team throughout the city.