The rich and famous residents of Los Angeles' fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades community are big users of private security – but Los Angeles' notorious red tape is keeping some of its security guards away from their clients, according to private security experts.
At least 20 people have been arrested on charges related to the robbery, and authorities, while warning residents and cops alike, said the numbers could rise.
Craig Paul, 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 spent 45 minutes with the LAPD, and nobody ever picked up,” he told Fox News Digital. “I finally stopped doing that, knowing very well that even if they answer the phone, they will beat me.”
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Firefighters battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (Ethan Swope/AP)
He said one of his clients got behind the police line and hiked up the hill to check on his property because he was so worried – he asked if his agents could do that. That's not an option, he said, but he hopes the police will let his teams in.
The community of Pacific Palisades in particular, at the heart of the largest active wildfire, is an affluent community that already faces regular threats of burglaries and home invasions.
“These are $30-, $40-, $50 million homes with people who deserve that level of asset protection,” he said.
Wind blows embers as a firefighter battles a blaze in the Angeles National Forest near Mt. Wilson as wildfires burn in the Los Angeles area, during the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, Jan. 9, 2025. (REUTERS/Ringo Chiu)
“Crime is very bad,” he added. “No matter what we sometimes hear on the news, if you really pay attention, there's a burglary every single night. Pacific Palisades is one of the worst crime areas right now. Every day. There are home invasions and burglaries, so homeowners need and want their safety. able to reach 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 how they are treated by the authorities.
People watch smoke and flames from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades area on Jan. 7, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, the Palisades Fire has grown to more than 2,900 acres and 30,000 people were ordered to evacuate as a second fire broke out near Eaton Canyon. (Tiffany Rose/Getty Images)
Still, David Katz, CEO of Global Security Group and a special agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration, said his company moved out of Los Angeles years ago.
“Robbery is bad…People stay and risk their lives because they know that if they leave, their property will be stolen, if it doesn't end up burning,” he told Fox News Digital. “I have a lot of guys who can go, but they will have to work under waivers.”
Firefighters protect what remains of homes in the Palisades Fire. (Mark J. Terrill)
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Herman Weisberg, a former NYPD detective and managing director of SAGE Intelligence, a private detective firm that also provides armed security to the stars, said some of his clients fear they could lose irreplaceable paintings and other belongings to the robbers if the flames reach them first.
“Government has great power, [and] it's obviously a daunting, really difficult task that they're facing,” he told Fox News Digital. “And right now, we're in the worst part of it in my opinion, of trying to address my customers' needs and their concerns. and try to respect the work of the government and try to cooperate with them instead of opposing.”
A firefighter communicates in front of the Kenneth Fire that is progressing in the West Hills section of Los Angeles on Thursday, Jan. 9. (AP/Ethan Swope)
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He said he has not seen a situation this bad since Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans in 2005.
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“I have been awake all night trying to fix things so that I can find people there and find houses for people and find the right vehicles and the necessary things,” he said. “It's going to be a tough few days for my industry and for the government, law enforcement, the fire department and obviously, first and foremost, the families and the individuals and companies involved.”
Two people ride bicycles amid the destruction left by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (Jae C. Hong/AP)
On the other hand, the cancellation of Hollywood awards shows became a burden, which allowed her to take her boots off the ground away from previously booked red carpet events and serve clients in their communities.
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“Instead of standing on the red carpet protecting people, they will be outside protecting people in their communities,” he said. “The more Hollywood cancels, the better it is for everyone, from a security standpoint.”
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