Rich and famous residents of Los Angeles’ fire-stricken Pacific Palisades community are frequent users of private security — but Los Angeles’ According to private security experts, the notorious red tape keeps some of their guards away from their clientele.
At least 20 people have been arrested on looting-related charges, and authorities warned both residents and copycats, but said that number could rise.
Craig Paul, the CEO of ASC Private Security in Los Angeles, said he has bodies on the ground willing to work, but he can’t get permission to send them to restricted areas where his clients need them.
“I was on hold at the LAPD for 45 minutes and no one ever answered,” he told Fox News Digital. “So I finally gave up on that, pretty much knowing that even if they pick up the phone, they’re going to turn me down.”
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Firefighters battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, January 9, 2025. (Ethan Swope/AP)
He said one of his clients snuck behind police lines and walked up a mountain to check on his property because he was so concerned. He then asked if his agents could do the same. That’s not an option, he said, but he’s hopeful the police will let his teams in.
The Pacific Palisades community in particular, which is at the heart of one of the largest active wildfires, is a high-income community that already faces regular threats of burglaries and home invasions.
“These are $30, $40, $50 million homes with individuals who deserve to properly protect that level of property,” he said.
Wind blows embers as a firefighter battles fire in the Angeles National Forest near Mount Wilson as wildfires rage in the Los Angeles area, during the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, January 9, 2025. (REUTERS/Ringo Chiu)
“Crime is terrible,” he added. “Regardless of what we hear in the news sometimes, if you really pay attention, there are burglaries happening every night. Pacific Palisades is one of the worst neighborhoods right now for crime. It’s daily. Home burglaries and burglaries are happening, so The homeowners are right and want their security to have access to their homes at a time like this.”
While some private security companies are run by people with law enforcement backgrounds, others are not, Paul said, and he sees a difference in the way they are treated by authorities.
People watch the smoke and flames from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on January 7, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Fueled by intense Santa Ana winds, the Palisades Fire has grown to more than 2,900 acres and 30,000 people have been ordered to evacuate as a second blaze has ignited near Eaton Canyon. (Tiffany Rose/Getty Images)
Still, says David Katz, the CEO of Global Security Group and a former Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administrationsaid his company pulled out of Los Angeles years ago.
“The looting is bad… People are staying and risking their lives because they know if they leave, their property will be stolen and if it doesn’t catch fire,” he told Fox News Digital. “I have a lot of guys who could go, but they would have to work under a waiver.”
Firefighters protect what’s left of homes from the Palisades Fire. (Mark J. Terrill)
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Herman Weisberg, a former NYPD detective and director of SAGE Intelligence, a private investigation firm that also provides armed security to the stars, said some of his clients fear they will lose irreplaceable works of art and other belongings to looters if the flames go out. not reaching them first.
“The government has a very (and) obviously terrible, very difficult job that they have to deal with,” he told Fox News Digital. “And right now, from my perspective, we’re in the worst part of trying to deal with the needs and concerns of my clients and also trying to respect the government’s job and trying to work with them instead from against them. “
A firefighter communicates with the advancing Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles on Thursday, January 9. (AP/Ethan Swope)
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He said he has never seen such a bad situation since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005.
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“I’ve been up all night working on the logistics of getting people there, housing people and arranging appropriate vehicles and supplies,” he said. “It will be a difficult few days for my industry and for government, law enforcement, fire services and of course, first and foremost, the families, individuals and businesses affected.”
Two people ride bicycles amid the destruction left by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, January 9, 2025. (Jae C. Hong/AP)
On the other hand, the cancellation of Hollywood awards shows already eased some of the burden, allowing him to step away from previously booked red carpet events and help clients in their own communities.
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“Instead of on one red carpet protect people, they will protect people in their community,” he said. “The more things Hollywood cancels, the better it is for everyone, from a safety perspective.”
