Encino residents and community leaders gathered in front of Van Nuys City Hall on Thursday, demanding action from city officials to address growing public safety concerns following recent break-ins and a double murder.
“We are not asking for miracles… just modern tools and accountability,” said Roy Nwaisser, Encino Neighborhood Council president.
Earlier this month, “American Idol” executive Robin Kaye and her husband, Thomas DeLuca, were killed in their Encino home by an intruder. The murders, along with a surge of home burglaries, prompted a meeting scheduled for Thursday night with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman.
“There needs to be a reset. People are afraid, they’re angry… and it’s our role to channel that anger and fear into constructive collaboration with our elected city officials and LAPD,” said Rob Glushon of the Encino Property Owners’ Association.
The LAPD has responded to the spike in crime by increasing patrols in the area.
Residents recently voiced their concerns at a community safety town hall, urging the mayor to take immediate action. They presented the city with action items, including increased law enforcement patrols, a reporting center that tracks crime in real-time, drone surveillance and automated license plate readers.
Meanwhile, the mayor’s office stated that the city has already implemented many of the demands and is working to enhance collaboration with the sheriff’s department’s burglary taskforce, citing a drop in homicides to the lowest in six years.
Adam Wright, an Encino resident, emphasized the urgency of the situation.
“We demand our elected officials to take immediate action… and enforce existing laws, clear the encampments,” Wright told KTLA.
