Press Release posted 8/13/13 – Sierra Madre is not unique in the increase of Residential Burglaries over the last several months. It is happening all across Los Angeles County. Special Tasks Force Units have been created to combat the problem and our local officers are having to deal with it on a daily basis. The best protection is to secure your home, know your surroundings and neighbors, report suspicious activity immediately, and participate in the Neighborhood Watch Programs.
This increase is likely due to AB109 – also known as the Prisoner Early Release Program. Since the inception of realignment in October 2011 approximately 17,000 prisoners have been released from state prison back to Los Angeles County. There are three populations that have been created under realignment. They fall under the category of non-violent, non-serious or non-sex related offenders. This has led to a spike in “Property Crimes”, the most common is Residential Burglaries. With no jail time known to the offender, the risk of getting caught outweighs the chance of going to prison.
For more information on AB109 visit our website http://www.cityofsierramadre.com/i-want-to/find/documents/category/11-police-department-documents?download=878%3Acriminal-justice-realignment-timeline-8-13-2013