With Pacific Coast Highway reopened to the public and the National Guard leaving Malibu’s fire-damaged neighborhoods, the city has approved a contract with a private security firm to provide extra patrols of homes left scorched and vacant by the Palisades fire.
The Malibu City Council voted unanimously at a May 21 meeting to spend an estimated $260,000 to employ the private security firm Covered 6 to provide patrols for 30 days, starting May 23, with the option to extend the contract.
Residents and city officials have raised concerns that the reopening of the 11-mile stretch of PCH on May 23 will make neighborhoods that were damaged or destroyed by the Franklin and Palisades fires more vulnerable to theft and vandalism. Since the January fires, PCH had been open only to emergency crews and residents.
During the City Council meeting, Malibu Mayor Marianne Riggins asked for a report of crimes committed in fire-affected areas in response to safety concerns raised by residents.
Sgt. Chris Soderlund of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Malibu-Lost Hills Station said he didn’t have specific crime data at the time but said he has heard about the safety concerns raised by Malibu homeowners.
“A lot of it is just hearsay,” Soderlund said.
During the Palisades and Eaton fires that scorched Los Angeles in January, at least 20 people had been arrested on suspicion of looting in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
Sheriff’s officials told The Times that there has been some criminal activity in Malibu since the fires, even when access to the area was restricted to the public, but it wasn’t a high volume of reported crimes.
“I believe there may have been some burglary-related [crimes] which could refer to either commercial, residential or vehicle,” said Sgt. Sean Wax.
With the departure of the National Guard scheduled for the end of the month, the community felt as though it was losing a level of safety, said Doug Stewart, a city councilmember.
Covered 6 was chosen by the city of Malibu to provide extra patrols “based on their extensive experience patrolling neighborhoods, working with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Malibu-Lost Hills Station personnel and use of technology to enhance effectiveness and accountability,” according to a news release.
The firm currently provides armed security services to the cities of Beverly Hills, Hidden Hills and Calabasas as well as two school districts: Las Virgenes in Calabases and Eastside Union in Lancaster.
In coordination with the Malibu-Lost Hills Station, Covered 6 has deployed four patrol units and a dedicated supervisor who all operate in marked vehicles.
“Fire-damaged areas face heightened risks of burglary, vandalism, and theft — particularly of construction materials — as many properties remain vacant during rebuilding,” according to the city news release. “Looter suppression efforts will be intensified, with zero-tolerance approach to crime and traffic violations.”
Deputies at the Malibu-Lost Hills Station have access to Covered 6’s general deployment schedules so they are aware of where they’ll be and at what time.
But Wax emphasized that the local sheriff’s station will continue its routine patrol and law enforcement efforts in the community. If Covered 6 has patrols in a specific area, sheriff’s deputies may also have their “looter suppression efforts” at the same place as well.
“We do our own operation, but they’re out there too acting as a deterrent as well,” he said.
Officials continue to urge residents to take an active role in protecting their properties by ensuring gates, doors and windows are locked.
Residents who observe suspicious activity or an unauthorized person on their property are encouraged to report it to the sheriff’s station by calling (818) 878-1808.
Residents can also complete a “Letter of Agency” at the Malibu-Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, which authorizes deputies to enforce trespassing laws on private property even when the owner is not there.
That means if an unauthorized person is on private property, officers can take action against the trespasser without contacting the property owner first.
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