Some of Los Angeles' wealthiest and most well-known residents invest in civilian military for protection as California continues to deal with the aftermath of deadly wildfires and homeowners targeted by looters and fraudsters I'm doing it.
MPS Security is one of the security companies that residents are working to rebuild what they lost in the wildfires.
“When that first happened, they only raised security companies in the community, so if they could afford it they just let them check their homes,” said MPS Security's Executive Protection Manager. One Matthew Crider shares it with Fox News Digital.
“I think that was a bit of a drawback. People didn't know if their home was still there or not. They didn't have power there. They probably need power, and definitely need Wi-Fi. It really hit us because we use some kind of camera system.”
Important phone numbers for Los Angeles area residents and how you can help them
The sun rose over West Los Angeles' Pacific Palisade district in the aftermath of a devastating wildfire last month. (Maria Alejandra Cardona/Reuters)
Kleider said there was a client asking him to check his neighbor's house and see if it was still standing. His agents take photos of the debris and send it back to their clients to prove their destruction, and try to help residents determine whether they have lost everything or still have a home.
“It's very heartbreaking that that's how they found it. But where did we go about a lot of them, “Hey, your home is still here. I explained. “So, so , it's definitely difficult. But we felt it was a bit unfair that only security companies could do patrols, so we did it for some of the clients we asked. I did. Please see if your house is okay.”
The Los Angeles County DA says nine have been charged with houses that were looted in wildfire zones.
Crider shared a new request the team had never had before: debris protection.
“I've never received that type of request before, so in a way I'm looking at the tile rub, so it was definitely different. But they didn't want it. It's gone,” Kryder said.
The suspected robber in Los Angeles disguised as a firefighter.
Sign posted in front of the house in Altadena, California. (Derek rocked for Fox News digital)
Kleider said many clients are safe too. He said it houses many of the client's most valuable items, and is usually fire resistant.
Cleider said, especially after the fire, as they sought a sense of security that their belongings were safe.
“The police can only do that much, so we look at the overall side of it and clients want that security more, so they sleep well at night,” explained Clyder.
“I can imagine staying in that area and staying at your home. You want to experience the rest of it. That one thing.”
Through the destruction, Kreider said he saw some light and united to protect the community from coming into each other.
“We've come across a lot of houses, three or four different houses that are willing to pay for security to be there. So they're going to do it together for that It's what they have to do, it's really sad to have something completely burned out security.”
Crider added that while his team deals with the physical aspects of crime, there are other crimes they see and hear, including potential situations of disaster relief fraud, fraud, and illegal occupation. .
“Because of the FEMA scam, there are a lot of different crimes I've just been reading. People say they are people who live there, they don't live there, and they're money We are trying to gather that is cybercrime,” Krider said.
Los Angeles wildfires: Armed homeowners patrol for looters in evacuation zones
Altadena residents will pass the sign in front of their home on January 13th, 2025. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
Another company that people are looking to cover six people in the wake of a wildfire.
The company said it has deployed a special response team to help people affected by the Los Angeles wildfires.
“Six special response teams covered have been deployed in the wildfire area of Pallisard to support communities threatened both by the fire itself and the increased incidence of crime in these areas.” , the company was wary on its website. “We may be delayed in our ability to respond to inquiries during this period and we will make every effort to respond in a timely manner.”
According to the company's website, they provide “large support businesses in all aspects of public safety.”
“The threats to public safety have changed. Volatility and uncertainty are common and resources are thinner. Because of the more agile and less restrictive, the covered 6 is to support public missions. You can quickly deploy a variety of solutions to the company,” reads the company's website.
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In response to the increased crimes that occurred during the wildfire, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office said it has increased the increase in security measures and announced the creation of a “router suppression team.”
“This dedicated unit is made up of personnel drawn from multiple LASD departments, each of which is specialized to combat looting and other criminal activity that may occur during periods of community vulnerability. It brings expertise,” according to a department statement.
The team will be run with additional assistant staff assigned to increase patrol operations, officials noted.
According to the statement, the agency's Aero Bureau will conduct air patrols to provide surveillance and rapid response capabilities to ensure comprehensive coverage of affected areas.
“Together, these efforts ensure a continuous 24-hour patrol to provide consistent and visible things. Law enforcement “Presentment, especially in nearby areas where utility outages and security risks remain high,” the official said.
Alexandra Koch of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
