Crime & Safety
Glendale PD's 'Dummy Car' Deters Thefts
An officer says the department is 'trying different tactics' to stop shoplifting at Vons and CVS in Montrose, and that it is working.
Regular visitors to Vons and CVS on Verdugo Boulevard in Montrose near the border with La Cañada Flintridge may have noticed the constant presence of a police car which has been parked in the lot since mid-August.
According to Officer Abe Chung of the Glendale Police Department, the car is a "dummy car" meant to deter criminal activity.
"That dummy car is there because we’ve had several issues at CVS and Vons of theft. That’s one of our highest calls for service in that area. It’s funny, because a lot of people are picking up on that it’s a dummy car," Chung told the Montrose Shopping Park Association board at its meeting on Thursday.
Find out what's happening in Montrose-La Crescentawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
According to Chung, the new tactic is working.
"We’ve been trying different tactics. Just because of our limited resources, we’ve been trying whatever we can to actually deter, and the last month, it went from six thefts to zero," Chung said. "We started it mid-August, and to the end of September, we had zero thefts."
Find out what's happening in Montrose-La Crescentawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
