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Police Conduct Safety Outreach Program in El Porto

Nov 27, 2021 01:48PM ● By Jeanne Fratello

Photo via Joe Franklin

The Manhattan Beach Police have been conducting a public awareness/safety outreach campaign in the El Porto beach parking lot this weekend, urging beachgoers to be vigilant and keep their belongings safe.

"The message is for people to be aware of their surroundings," MBPD Captain Christian Eichenlaub told DigMB.

He said that MBPD was advising people who arrived in the parking lot to lock their cars, and not to leave their car keys in easy-to-steal places, such as on the tire of a car, or hidden in the sand next to their belongings.

Eichenlaub noted that sometimes "crooks" will watch people put their keys in an easy-to-nab spot, and then they grab them when the beachgoers head into the water.

There are safer options available for stowing your keys, he said, such as waterproof cases that can be taken into the water, or lockbox-type devices similar to what realtors use to keep keys safe.

Eichenlaub added that the MBPD's awareness campaign was not prompted by any specific increase in incidents; but that as the holidays approach, property crimes tend to go up.

"We're telling people to 'harden the target,' don’t make themselves easy victims, and of course, if they see something, say something," said Eichenlaub.

The MBPD's outreach efforts were expected to reach several hundred people each day between Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

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