LAPD Robbery-Homicide Warning - Expensive Watches

Sadly, follow home robberies have been going on for a while. Nice car, any luxury good, etc. give would be robbers insight to what also might be in the home. Good advice in the warning.

Philippines: first time?

The DA & City do not want to do anything about crime. There is no prosecution for theft of $1,000.00 or less. Very bad habits start small. You steel and get away with it . Eventually you up your game. You take your life in your hands wearing any shiny watch. I would never harm someone to protect my personal property.  The person committing the crime does not share these values. You can be killed for pocket change.  I'll take advantage of the free pass afforded the criminals regarding judgment of stating the facts on crime in Los Angeles. 

 This was 2021 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-12/beverly-hills-restaurant-watch-robbery-arrests

Watches are for wearing in your living room in Los Angeles. 

My mom was from the Philippines. When we’d spend our summers in Manila, she wouldn‘t allow my sister and I to wear any nice jewelry/watches/purses - she would say it was just too risky to draw that kind of attention. 

Yeah we got to use common sense when going to places and travel. Its getting worst in the areas we live especially in the major big cities. Or even anywhere best advise be smart and be wise in our surroundings. Stay vigilant my friends.💪

While I get the sentiment and agree that petty crime can escalate, what you are referring to is Prop 47 and that has been widely misinterpreted.  To quote the LA DA “What Prop 47 did is increase the dollar amount by which theft can be prosecuted as a felony from $400 to $950 to adjust for inflation and cost of living.” Less than $950 is still charged and prosecuted as a misdemeanor. AP Fact Checker article for reference. LA is not the lawless city some press want to make it to be and they are not the only city or state with similar felony guidelines. 

The situation @celinesimon  is referring to is a felony in every situation regardless of dollar amount. Armed robbery, robbery & assault, robbery in concert, use of a firearm, etc, are still felonious acts. 

I also get that LA and NY are easy targets for criticism; Los Angeles is #9 (by population) in the nation for robbery behind the likes of Anchorage, Alburquerque, Houston, Milwaukee, Lubbock, etc, but no one is jumping on the forums to complain about being robbed in Milwaukee (lovely city). Let's not let a few sensational headlines turn into something it is not. Source

The LA destroyed San Francisco and now Los Angeles. Articles supporting the DA are not sources I trust. Why do these media outlets support removing the LA County Sherriff who advocates enforcement of laws? Crime has escalated with no solution.  Enough said 

We are talking about two separate things and want to avoid "Whataboutisms." I shared an AP unbias/fact-based explanation of the law which offers nothing supporting the DA office. The other source for crime stats is the FBI. Stats are stats and my reply was simply providing data, not opinions. Seems a couple of times a week we get a "LA or NY is bad" type of thread where in reality, and statistically, crimes are more likely in many other cities in the US. 

As far as outlets calling for the removal of a sheriff, that is a separate topic not suited for a watch forum given the politics involved and only stands to create further tension based on political lines.  

The notice came from the LA PD warning citizens of increased crime.  No Whataboutism. The LA PD shared information based on facts regarding crime increase.  Agreed sharing about the Sherriff isn't appropriate. Neither are your snuck premises supporting the lack of law enforcement in Los Angeles.  

To clarify, the whataboutism I was referring to was the Sherriff situation as that was not specific to the topic, which we both agree this is not the best place for that discussion.

I also 100% agree on the notice and specifically said it was "good advice." Similarly, not sure what I said that does not support law enforcement, but will humbly take the feedback if there are specifics. Pointing out that LA does enforce and prosecute crimes under $950 and that they are #9 in robberies is not an attack on law enforcement.  Not saying LA is perfect by any means, all cities have issues and I would not be celebrating being #9 either, as they clearly have their work cut out. Sensationalism is never good for discourse. I would have equally pointed out if it were any city where the narrative does not necessarily reflect the data. 

Note, I say all of this as someone who resided in Chicago proper for a significant portion of my life and people outside of the city, who did not know better, loved to say, "Isn't it dangerous to live there?" or "Isn't that the murder capital of the US?" but when you point out that Chicago is not even in the top ten per capita, the narrative changes and we can have a conversation about why they think that. It is all good @TimeJunkie, I am intentionally not taking a side, but rather trying stem the pitchforks, regardless of side.

Here in New York City, a cottage industry is booming: Attractive young women allow seemingly rich guys to bring them back to their hotel rooms, and then the women drug the men. The women proceed to steal Rolexes and Pateks while the guys nod off, then leave.

Just Google it; there are so many reports of this.

LA crime is getting worse and worse, there is no question or "whatabout" whatever about it. I could link any number of articles of recent, brazen crimes to illustrate this. And those are the few sensational enough to make the news. Crime in this city is up, and the prosecutions for it are drastically down.  Local DA's even revolted and sued their boss (Gascon) about the lack of prosecutions.

And this does not even account for the many crimes that do not get reported. I can personally attest to calling 911 and being told unless someone is currently in danger or injured, they won't send any officers. The effect is disastrous and people are finally waking up. This is clearly illustrated by the recall of the liberal DA in a very liberal city. First in SF and hopefully here in LA in a couple months.

The fact that local PD's are saying don't wear nice things in public means they have given up on being able to provide basic public safety. It's pathetic.  This is not "common sense" of don't wear expensive jewelry in a bad part of town, late at night. People are being robbed at major shopping centers, run over by cars in downtown LA for a watch, stabbed at gas stations and being beaten with a metal pipe in unprovoke attacks - all in the middle of the day, all over the county. 

It's out of control and it's getting worse here in the greater LA and SoCal area.

I wear old clothes traveling and flex with my cheap chinese skeleton watch. I keep cash and cards out of my wallet but leave a few bucks in it. Carry a reusable Dollar Store bag for anything i'm carrying too. Also never hold your hat out front as that invites coins.

I’m from the Philippines & my family and I visit California a lot cause we have lots of family over there.  I think wearing expensive watches here depends on where you’re going - but I do understand what your mom meant about not drawing attention - when we do travel to the US I usually take 1 watch but for our trip this year I’ll take a seiko and a GShock - the Seiko to satisfy that watch nerd in me to wear a mechanical watch but it’s affordable enough to not worry too much about it if something does happen to it and the GShock is the ultimate beater watch so if someone does want to rob me of my GShock I’d gladly hand it over and just order another one online 😁