Encino's LAPD Senior Lead Officer Discusses Local Crime Trends

The LAPD’s Senior Lead Officers act as the neighborhood cop, serving as the main contact between residents and the department. Officer Rob Trulik can be reached at 818-374-7637 or 32325@lapd.lacity.org.

Over the past month, police in Encino were investigating a series of robberies at standalone ATM kiosks. At the Bank of America ATM on Saticoy and White Oak Avenue in Encino, suspects were loitering and approaching residents during their transactions.

“We did arrest the individual responsible,” LAPD Senior Lead Officer Rob Trulik said at the Feb. 23 Encino Neighborhood Council meeting. “We built a pattern through this guy and was able to arrest him. He was charged with seven counts of robbery.”

Trulik said this isn’t going to be unique to that location and urged residents to be aware of their surroundings when using banking facilities.

Over the past year or two, on Ventura Boulevard, Reseda and Northridge. Trulik said West Valley LAPD officers were able to arrest four people involved with the crimes this past weekend.

“Two had prior convictions for burglaries themselves,” he said. “We expect to see a huge decrease in these crimes.”

Police are seeing an average of from Balboa Sports Park, the Encino golf course and the Encino hills jogging trail.

Trulik warned residents not to leave valuable items such as sunglasses, GPS systems, purses and laptops in plain view. Hide the items before you get to your destination so that lurkers don’t see you transfer your items into the trucks.

“We’re trying to apprehend the person, but we still don’t know who he or she is,” Trulik said.