Pacific Palisades residents build blockade amid spate of burglaries

Pacific Palisades residents have set up a blockade at night to try to stop thugs from breaking into their homes as they are steadily rebuilt.

The wealthy coastal enclave is still largely dotted with empty lots and construction projects more than a year after the raging wildfire destroyed thousands of houses, creating easy targets for thieves.

“This is the people and the neighbors coming together to solve the problem,” Palisades resident Morgan Goldberg said in an Instagram video after several properties under construction were targeted.

Goldberg, who is rebuilding after losing her own home in the inferno, said residents have organized their own security efforts as they wait for more police protection.

“The neighbors have put together a pretty active neighborhood watch,” Goldberg told KTLA. “In some instances, they create a blockade or just some kind of presence to thwart any criminal activity coming down the street.”

LAPD recorded eight burglaries in the Palisades during June, with construction sites among the targets.

Thieves allegedly made off with about $13,500 in tools after breaking a window at one home under renovation. At another property, a storage container was broken into after its lock was cut, resulting in roughly $10,000 worth of equipment being stolen. A separate construction site lost another $6,450 in equipment after a gate and storage container were reportedly breached.

Police told residents in July that the area was seeing roughly four to five reported crimes per week — an improvement from the approximately eight weekly incidents reported several months earlier.

Still, crime has become an additional headache for homeowners already dealing with the financial and emotional toll of rebuilding.

Goldberg described the post-fire neighborhood as particularly vulnerable at night because so many properties remain vacant or under construction.

“It’s very dark, it’s unpopulated and full of construction lots with nothing but a chain link fence protecting it,” Goldberg told the Westside Current. “Everyone has hired private security; it’s very distressing that after losing everything, now we have to worry about getting robbed.”

LAPD has advised residents and contractors to take additional precautions, including routinely checking properties, securing tools, tracking expensive equipment and using lighting and surveillance cameras. The department has also recommended alarm systems that can immediately notify homeowners when activity is detected on their properties.

For fire victims already pouring money into rebuilding, however, adding private guards and sophisticated security systems can mean another hefty bill.

Goldberg argued that residents should not have to shoulder the responsibility alone and called for a stronger police presence throughout the neighborhood.

“The Palisades is a huge area; we need police for deterrence or there’s no real protection,” she said.

The security problems are unfolding against the backdrop of one of the most extensive rebuilding efforts in Los Angeles history.

The Palisades Fire began Jan. 7, 2025, eventually scorching 23,448 acres and destroying 6,837 structures, including 5,942 single-family homes, according to final Cal Fire figures.

More than a year later, only an estimated 28 to 37 homes have been completely rebuilt and cleared for occupancy in Pacific Palisades, even as more than 1,000 properties have construction underway or approved rebuilding permits.

The slow recovery has become a source of mounting anger toward the city and Mayor Karen Bass, with residents raising concerns about permitting delays, rebuilding costs and bureaucratic red tape.

Goldberg said she backed Spencer Pratt in the 2026 mayoral primary but voted for Rick Caruso in the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral election.

Last month, District 11 Councilwoman Traci Park called on LAPD leadership to increase resources in the Palisades. Her office said four additional officers were subsequently assigned to the area.

However, residents still say they want a more visible police presence, particularly during the nighttime hours when the largely empty streets become most vulnerable.

“We need to address these issues,” Goldberg said. “We need to create a police force that is present, funded and supported.”

The Post has reached out to the LAPD, Bass’ office and Park’s office for comment.

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