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Atherton police deploy 'bait houses' to catch burglars
A recent rash of home burglaries in the affluent Peninsula town of Atherton has prompted police there to turn to technology to thwart would-be thieves.
ATHERTON, Calif. - A recent rash of home burglaries in the affluent Peninsula town of Atherton has prompted police there to turn to technology to thwart would-be thieves.
About 7,000 people live in meticulous homes, largely hidden behind walls, trees and shrubbery. And somehow, thieves are still able to break in and get away.
"We mostly because we have an older community," said 32-year resident Sharam Shirati. "And so people walk in. Doors open, crack a small window and go inside; maybe the residents are asleep. And they take whatever they can and off they go."
Atherton police say a lull in these types of crimes, following an all-time high of 45, has reversed course.
"Burglary is kind of a regional problem. It seems like it’s been pretty widespread throughout," said CDR. Dan Larsen.
He said this year’s total, 15, is almost equal to 2023's level, which was 17. So, this department is launching the Bait House Program.
Fifty pre-selected homeowners have agreed to let police put trackers in common household goods that data suggests are likely to be stolen.
"Once that tracker is moved, we will get a notification of it, which will trigger a response by the police department, with our ultimate goal of apprehension," said Larsen.
Criminal justice experts said this concept can help disrupt criminal gangs moving from city to city.
"We are in a technology race between law enforcement and the bad guys," said University of New Haven professor Ken Gray, who’s also a retired FBI Special Agent-in-Charge.
Unlike AirTags, which retail for $20 - $30, Atherton police say each tracker in this program costs $500.
Only a portion of the initial 50 homes have been outfitted so far.
"You can’t use something as simple as a tile or an AirTag. You need something essentially that has a radio, a cellular radio built into it in addition to a GPS tracker," said Larry Magid, CEO of ConnectSafely, and a tech expert based in Palo Alto.
The program is in its infancy, but some residents say it may already be a success.
"The threat of having a tracker in place could maybe give thieves a second thought about hitting that house," said Shirati.
Police officials said they’ll also use existing traffic cameras to help track allegedly stolen items that move through the town. They concede it’ll take time to see if the numbers of home burglaries continue on a pace to exceed last year’s numbers or drop sharply.
Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on the X platform (formerly Twitter), @JesseKTVU2 and on Instagram, @jessegontv