Even with arrests, there has been no shortage of suspects. Bikes have been locked up but suspects are using bolt cutters. Just this week, private security officers assisted the LAPD in an arrest of a bike theft suspect from the area of the Red Line at Lankershim Boulevard and Chandler Boulevard. At 2:30 pm in the afternoon, a suspect was loitering by the bike racks when he was observed removing bolt cutters from his back pack. The lock was almost removed when he was confronted by security and ran with his back pack in one hand and bolt cutters in the other. Timing was perfect and a police car was pulling up to patrol the area. The suspect, a Hollywood resident, was caught and arrested. He uses the red line for transportation to commit crimes in the North Hollywood area. Investigation determined this was the third time he was here in a week.

At the 24 Hour Fitness Center, some lockers were believed to be secured. However, a large number of lockers were left unlocked as members walked away. There is a simple way to reduce the chances of becoming a victim - secure your locker. In reviewing the theft reports, some victims walked away to take a shower without securing their personal property. It takes just seconds for someone to watch you walk away and for them to remove your wallet and car keys. Even if you are alone in the locker,suspects are walking in and trying lockers to see which unsecured lockers have property. Securing your locker is a very simple solution to greatly reduce the risk of becoming a victim and helping reduce the crime in the NoHo Arts Area.

Crime prevention at Fitness Centers / locker thefts

· Always secure your personal property in a locker.
· Verify the locker is secured by a built in combination or pad lock / both if possible. Never just close the locker thinking it’s safe or no one is around.
· Utilize lockers on the workout floor where it is visible to many patrons and employees.
· Speak to the fitness center manager about location crime statistics. The more people who inquire, the more motivation the location will have to take additional preventive measures to reduce the incidents of crime.
· Leave as much personal property secured in the trunk of your vehicle instead of inside of the fitness center. Items/ property should be placed in the trunk of the vehicle prior to the arrival at the location.
· Be aware of who is around you while working out. Some suspects pretending to work-out near lockers could be watching what items are being put in the lockers and watching to see who is not securing them properly.
· Periodically check on the locker You may see some suspicious behavior or even deter a crime from happening to yourself or someone else.