Elite Sheriff's Detail Targets Knock Knock Burglars

Unknown to the young men in the Nissan Altima who would later be arrested for burglary, they were already under surveillance Friday morning when they drove into Cerritos and stopped outside a house.

They received no answer when they knocked on the door, so they then proceeded around to a back door and allegedly broke inside.

Undercover investigators verified the break-in, and notified uniformed deputies to make the arrests.

It was the week's third suspected burglary crew taken down by an elite law enforcement detail whose work has largely escaped the glare of the media spotlight, but agreed to speak Friday with NBC4.

"We are having an actual impact," said Detective Sgt. Mike Maher with the Burglary-Robbery Task Force of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau-Metro detail.

The task force follows leads throughout the county, and using the same surveillance technique they used Friday made two other big arrests during the week. Two suspects were arrested after a home burglary Monday in Sylmar, and a day later, two others were arrested after another burglary in Gardena.

In seven years, the task force has made some 600 arrests, and with evidence obtained by catching burglars in the act, these cases in court have resulted in significant prison sentences, Maher said.

Knock-knock burglars generally try to avoid confrontations with residents. The name comes from their technique of knocking on the front door as a way to verify no one is home.

Citizen tips, witness accounts and other leads enable the task force to identify suspected burglars and their vehicles. But if there is not enough evidence for arrest, or the suspect does not have an existing warrant, the task force will do surveillance, and often catch the suspects in the act, as this past week, Maher said.

The task force was set up in 2010, after a rash of knock-knock burglaries in the San Gabriel Valley along the 210 Freeway corridor. Gold jewelry was the principal early target. Maher suspects that was a consequence of the spike in gold's price following the 2008 recession.

The knock-knock MO spread as street gangs discovered burglarizing unoccupied homes can generate lucrative returns, with fewer risks than the longtime gang staple of narcotics trafficking.

Focusing on jewelry, cash and small electronics that can fit in a backpack, some crews clear as much as $10,000 a day, Maher said.

In many cases, the burglars try to blend into the neighborhood they are targeting by dressing nicely and renting or borrowing a luxury car. The suspects arrested in Gardena were traveling in a Porsche Cayenne.

Reports of burglaries targeting celebrities in recent months have raised the media profile of home break-ins. Maher acknowledged knock-knocks have become widespread, but does not see a significant increase recently.

Since most knock-knock crews seek to avoid confrontation, if you hear a knock or door ring, Maher recommends you let the person at the door know the house is not empty. To do so, you do not need to open the door, especially if you don't recognize or are not expecting the person.

When you're not home, Maher suggests leaving on the TV or radio or other ways to make it appear people are around. Dogs can also scare off burglars.

But not all burglars can be dissuaded. The Cerritos home targeted Friday had a visible security camera aimed at the front door, and a "beware of dog" sign on the side gate to the backyard.

In some cases now, Maher said, the burglary crews are tracking down phone numbers to call, or doing their own surveillance of houses, to be able to determine when no one is home without making themselves obvious by knocking.