LAPD Topanga Station is one of two in the city to be testing drones to fight crime.
Topanga Captain Rudy Lopez spoke to the Woodland Hills Homeowners Organization Wednesday night to discuss community concerns over privacy and noise from the “eyes in the sky.”
Lopez said that the drones in the West Valley and West L.A. are an “added resource to our arsenal.” He said they don’t make as much noise as a helicopter, and can get to a crime scene faster after being deployed from the station or another hub at Topanga and Vanowen.
The new drones are two to three-times larger than commercial ones. They have a limited flying time and have to come down and charge frequently, but Lopez said they have been proven to be a great tool in other cities.
“You make the call and we get the drone out to get eyes on the situation while we alert officers in the area,” he said. “A drone can get to a scene quicker than a patrol car – especially in the hills.”
Drones are particularly useful to see suspects; the live feed goes to a sworn officer and specialized operator at the Topanga station.
“There’s been a huge improvement in facial recognition,” Lopez explained. “Booking photos are in a state-wide system. If the quality is good we can identify them.”
The drones are simply for surveillance, not weaponized, he explained in response to a question from the audience.
He also stressed that drones will not be used as a source of information on individuals unless they are involved in a crime.
Lopez said that the station is seeing a rise in residential burglaries, and that 80% of burglars gain access to a house by smashing a rear glass window. They target the master bedroom looking for cash, jewelry or guns. He said they take what they can and are in and out in four to five minutes. Usually there is one suspect in a car ready to speed away.
He said that these burglaries are organized, and they may hit several homes in one area, just going from one to another and jumping from the east to the west valley.
“It’s rare to catch them,” he explained, as they use rental cars or cars without license plates. Many homes don’t have video surveillance to detect the suspects.”
Council District 12 under John Lee is piloting a license plate reader program and Lopez said he is working to get them for CD 3. “We need them on off ramps and freeways,” he said. “There aren’t as many follow-homes here, more burglaries where they have easy access to the 101 Freeway to get away.”
Lopez said burglars look for dark homes with unsecured gates and no dogs. “Those make easy targets,” he cautioned.
He offered safety tips to protect your home, including making sure all gates and the garage are locked, exterior lights work and the alarm works. Place cameras on the garage and bolt down a safe. Make your home look as lived-in as possible: keep lights and a radio or TV on. Don’t leave out trash cans or mail.
“Make sure you talk to neighbors if you see a car that doesn’t belong or people sitting in a car. A lot of times we get the calls too late and can’t solve the crime,” he said. “You guys are your best eyes to report suspicious individuals – before they hit your home.”
