Councilmember, Police Convene Retail Theft Prevention Forum With Business Owners – Pasadena Now

District 6 Councilmember Steve Madison speaks during a forum convened Friday, September 29, 2023 with Pasadena business owners to discuss retail theft prevention measures. [City of Pasadena]

On Friday District 6 Councilmember Steve Madison and Pasadena Police Department officers met with Pasadena business owners to detail measures to prevent break-ins and what to do if a robbery occurs. [City of Pasadena]

On Friday, District 6 Councilmember Steve Madison and Pasadena Police Department officers met with Pasadena business owners to detail measures to prevent break-ins and what to do if a robbery occurs.

The recent high-profile arrests of four Romanian nationals during a Pasadena Police anti-retail theft operation on South Lake Avenue on September 8 have brought focus to business loss prevention in Pasadena.  In that incident, the suspects allegedly walked out of Macy’s with unpaid merchandise, were confronted by police and later reportedly linked to thefts across Los Angeles and Orange counties as well as in Nevada.

That incident, and a daring daylight smash-and-grab robbery in late August that resulted in the loss of approximately $500,000 worth of custom-made jewelry from a long-established business on South Lake Avenue, likely played roles in prompting the meeting.

During Friday’s meeting, Pasadena police offered several recommendations to local businesses:

• Ensure security cameras are functioning correctly and activate motion sensors if possible. Enable cell phone notifications for motion sensors.
• Invest in a safe with gauge steel walls.
• Do not leave large sums of money at the business location overnight.
• Ensure a minimum of two people are present during opening and closing times.
• Consider hiring security personnel.
• If a break-in has recently occurred, contact the Pasadena Police Department to file a report and request additional patrols around your business.

For more information about protecting your local business, please call the Police Department non-emergency line at (626) 744-4241.