Theft delays construction of Habitat for Humanity home

It happens everywhere! You cannot leave ANY property vacant during construction!!! Period!!!

Locks mean NOTHING!

I had my kitchen remodelled a few months ago, and the contractor's unmarked, windowless van was parked smack dab in front of my house. Thirty minutes after he started the job, his van had been broken into, and ALL of his tile cutting saws, etc. were stolen! He had to run to Home Depot to buy a whole new set of tools just to complete my job. He had to leave everything inside of my house...nothing in his truck!

Pit bulls work fine, too.; but now they're just shooting them....sigh!

Not much help, but better than nothing. Use an engraving tool to mark all property with and identifying number or name. Also take photos and keep a list of everything in a safe place with serial numbers for every item that has one and keep your receipts for all purchases. I keep all of that in a file with the manuals that come with everything I have.

Stricter laws are needed regulating pawn shops and on line auction sales requiring persons selling especially valuable items and tools to show a receipt or bill of sale before the transaction can be completed. Treat anyone who is found in possession of stolen goods without the paperwork the same as if they were the primary thief. If there is no market for stolen goods there is no incentive to rob.

Pacoima just happens to be Ground Zero for the San Fern Gang, which has had an injunction put on it to restrict selling drugs and assaulting people with illegal weapons, etc. Maybe they're now "branching" out into home and car thefts to make up for loss of drug sales revenue, and to be less conspicuous.

Also, sad but true, "gardeners" working in the area tend to throw anything their trucks pertaining to tools of the trade: I've had garden hoses, shovels, even nice lawn statues stolen too many times to count - anything of value has to be taken inside, being behind locked gates isn't even enough. These tools sound like the kinds of things stolen from Home Depot parking lots out of trucks -- where would-be "gardeners" and other workers loiter.

Anyone hiring these people should be sure to get IDing details and backgrouind checks -- too many operate in the underground economy with no one bothering to track them if these robberies occur in the neighborhood. When you hire them for yard or "cheap" yard repair/ cement work, you are bringing a foreign element into the neighborhood that you should be careful about, for YOUR own safety as well.

now pacoima is now a habitat!!! get real...

I feel awful for the families that are still waiting for a home.

Somewhat ironically, Habitat for Humanity acquired the land for this, their largest project west of the Mississippi, because high crime in the area had lowered the price.

I encourage the philanthropic-minded to help alleviate some of the losses. The thieves ought to be terribly ashamed to steal from a charity meant to assist low-income families who are living cramped together in a garage or a single bedroom.

If my memory serves me correctly, didn't this happen before while building homes in San Fernando? Something to think about.

I wish those stupid White People from Ventura county would stop coming to the Valley and Pacoima and stealing things and vandalizing these poor peoples neighborhood....Because we know it wasnt anybody from the area because they love and respect their city...right?? Im just saying...