By Mary O’KEEFE

Over the weekend a very high-flying drone was seen over a Crescenta Valley neighborhood. It looked like a bird but was at an extreme altitude. With the surge of residential burglaries throughout LA County, including the recent burglaries in the areas of West Los Angeles including Brentwood, Pacific Palisades and Westwood, police have warned residents to be aware of suspicious behavior including being on the lookout for drones, according to reports.

Drones have not been used in burglaries in the area, according to Sgt. Retamoza of LA County Sheriff’s Dept.-Crescenta Valley Station.

“Drones being used is not [something] I have heard here but it would not surprise me,” he said.

Glendale police have not seen drones used in any residential burglaries in their area but are aware of this tactic.

Retamoza added that burglary crews are using more and more technology including jammers that affect home surveillance footage.

“Sometimes we see [burglars] will surveil a house for four, or more, days to look for patterns of the residents,” he added.

LASD does have a list of ways for residents to protect themselves and their property from burglary including: 1. Always lock your residence – windows and doors, prior to leaving. 2. Install motion lights around your property. 3. Be a good neighbor and observer; report all suspicious activity [about] trespassers, no matter how insignificant it might seem. 4. Be aware of suspicious vehicles and persons. Take note of the vehicle descriptions and license plates.

And now be aware of any drones flying over neighborhoods.

California Civil Code Section 1708:8 prohibits the use of drones to capture images, video or audio recordings of individuals engaging in private activities without their consent. Operating a drone over someone’s property without permission may be considered trespassing.