BLING RINGS

South American ‘Burglary Tourists’ Menace the Homes of the Rich: LAPD

Crime rings are vacationing in the U.S. with the sole purpose of pulling off heists.

The hot new travel trend is burglary, according to alarming data shared by the Los Angeles Police Department this week. Over the last few years, California and other southwestern states have seen a rise in burglary tourism—bizarre instances in which thieves from South America travel to the U.S. with the sole purpose of pulling off heists. LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told the L.A. Times that the crime rings usually target rich neighborhoods where they’re more likely to find high-value goods, and often choose properties they can easily infiltrate. “They often target homes often connected to open spaces, hiking trails and canyons that give them access,” Hamilton said. As for security, he added, the thieves sometimes carry “jamming devices” to disrupt home defense systems, but they’re usually not armed. “They tend to not carry guns. They don’t want to get gun charges,” he said. The LAPD estimates the bandits were likely responsible for dozens of break-ins in north L.A. last year, though it’s difficult to know exactly how many.