Police in Irvine are warning about a concerning number of crimes happening in the city, with some of them committed by organized criminal groups.
There have been a total of 34 home burglaries in the last 35 days.
In many of the crimes, burglars are getting in by climbing through a second-story window, or disabling or knocking down security cameras. More than half of the burglaries are thefts from garages.
But police believe about 20% of the home burglaries are the work of organized, professional burglary rings.
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"I've been here my whole adult life," said Lena Maddox, a long-time Irvine resident. "I've never had to lock my doors, never worried."
Maddox lives in a guard-gated community in Turtle Rock, which gave her a sense of security until she learned of the recent burglaries police are investigating.
"We've stepped our systems," said Maddox. "I know a lot of my neighbors have stepped up, but we've never had to in the past."
Ray Cui, who owns a pharmacy in Irvine, which was recently broken into, also lives in Irvine.
"That's too many for me. Actually happening every day," said Cui.
City leaders say the numbers aren't a lot for a city of more than 300,000 people.
While FBI statistics show Irvine is the safest city in the nation when it comes to violent crime, city officials and police want residents to be more aware of the burglaries happening in the area.
"Irvine is not immune. It's not zero crime," Irvine City Councilmember Tammy Kim said. "When we say Irvine is the safest city in the United States, it is true through FBI statistics for a city of our size. But it doesn't mean you leave your front door open. It doesn't mean you leave your garage door open.”
Police offer the following tips based on the recent burglary trends:
- Get a security system that has cameras with activity alerts, so it starts recording right when there's motion.
- When a stranger is at your door, talk to them through your camera or from behind the door so they know someone is home.
- Take inventory of your valuables including serial numbers, receipts and photos.
