Hahn Asks LASD for Briefing on Plan to Address and Prevent Smash-and-Grab Robberies

San Pedro, CA — Today, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn requested a briefing for the Board of Supervisors and the public by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department about how law enforcement will address the recent rash of “smash-and-grab” robberies.

“These recent smash-and-grab robberies have alarmed many of our residents, especially workers in retail who are already dealing with a lot during the holiday shopping season,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “Some of these recent robberies have been organized and well-thought out, so they will require an equally organized response from law enforcement.”

At Supervisor Hahn’s request, Assistant Sheriff over the Patrol Division Bruce Chase briefed the Board during today’s meeting of the Board of Supervisors about how the LA County Sheriff’s Department plans to address these recent crimes, including:

• Increased visible patrol checks in shopping malls and other retail areas
• Activating the department’s operations center to facilitate and coordinate responses with other partner agencies
• Coordination with other law enforcement departments to collaborate efforts
• Meeting with local businesses about these robberies

Assistant Sheriff Chase also advised people to be vigilant and if they see anything suspicious such as a caravan of cars, they should call the local Sheriff’s Department or local police department. He also said that although the investigation is still ongoing, these robberies do not seem to be part of a grand conspiracy but instead appear to be quickly organized by people on social media.

Supervisor Hahn urged the Sheriff’s Department to go door-to-door to local businesses this holiday season with information about these robberies and what they can do to prevent them.