Enough Is Enough: Encino residents deserve real public safety

Another home invasion. Another burglary. Another murder. Another helicopter circling overhead while police search for suspects who will likely disappear into the night, never to be caught.

This is life in Encino today.

What was once one of the safest, most serene communities in Los Angeles has become a hunting ground for criminals who now operate with near impunity. Armed break-ins. Sophisticated burglaries. Brazen home invasions carried out in broad daylight. The fear is palpable. The outrage is real.

I’m a longtime Encino resident, and I can say what so many of my neighbors are now saying behind closed doors: we’ve had enough.

The tragic murder of two beloved neighbors in their own home earlier this month wasn’t an isolated incident. It was the breaking point in a steady drumbeat of unchecked crime that has rocked our community. We’ve been patient. We’ve called the LAPD. We’ve held meetings. We’ve installed cameras, alarms, and gates. But it’s clear now: whatever is being done—it’s not enough.

Encino has become the front line in a public safety failure that’s spreading across Los Angeles.

We are not overreacting. The numbers back us up. Home invasions are up. Armed robberies are up. Organized burglary crews—some believed to be international in origin—are targeting homes with military-like precision. They watch when we leave. They disable alarms. They smash windows and escape in stolen vehicles. And we rarely hear about arrests—because there rarely are any.

The hard truth is this: Los Angeles is one of the most under-policed major cities in America. We have roughly 8,500 officers for nearly 4 million residents. That’s about 2.2 officers per 1,000 people. By comparison, New York City has nearly 36,000 officers and Miami has nearly double our per-capita force. We simply don’t have enough patrols, detectives, or resources to match the sophistication of these criminal operations.

Residents are left wondering: where are our tax dollars going?

The most basic function of government—more basic than roads, parks, or even schools—is public safety. If you cannot protect people in their own homes, you are failing them.

We’ve had enough talk. It’s time for action.

Here’s what Los Angeles must do—urgently:

1. Expand the LAPD.Set a target: 12,000 sworn officers within five years. We need to hire, train, and retain officers at scale. Prioritize patrols in vulnerable neighborhoods. Create dedicated burglary task forces in every division.
2. Rebuild Specialized Units.Reinvest in the LAPD’s burglary and robbery divisions. These aren’t random crimes—they’re coordinated, mobile operations. We need detectives, data analysts, and tech support to dismantle these networks.
3. Use Technology to Fight Crime.Deploy city-funded license plate readers, drones, and surveillance tools in hotspot neighborhoods. Not to invade privacy—but to deter crime and help police respond faster. Use AI to detect patterns. Prevent before we respond.
4. Demand Federal Assistance—for Real Threats.Many of these crimes are believed to be tied to South American Theft Groups (SATGs)—sophisticated crews that fly into the U.S. on tourist visas, scout affluent neighborhoods, disable alarm systems, and vanish before they can be caught. These are international operations, not petty thefts. That’s why we need the FBI and Department of Homeland Security to treat this like the transnational threat it is.
5. Enforce Consequences for Repeat Offenders.Reform matters. But so does accountability. There must be real consequences for repeat break-ins, armed robbery, and organized theft. When someone gets caught committing a violent crime and is back on the street days later, that’s not justice—it’s insanity.
6. Make Public Safety Forums Matter.Require LAPD leadership and city officials to hold monthly safety forums in high-crime areas like Encino. Show residents the data. Share plans. Report back with results. Accountability shouldn’t be optional.

We’re just three years away from hosting the 2028 Olympic Games. A moment of pride. A global spotlight. But how can we possibly convince the world that we can protect millions of visitors when we can’t even protect our own residents in traditionally safe communities?

City Hall, the LAPD, and our federal partners must treat this crisis with the urgency it demands.

Because we’re not asking for special treatment—we’re asking for something every person in this city deserves: Safety.

And we’re done asking nicely.

John Shallman is a longtime Encino resident, award-winning political media consultant, and national best-selling author. He has worked on local and national public safety campaigns and is a frequent contributor to civic and policy conversations in California.