Some of Los Angeles’ wealthiest and most famous residents are investing in private military for protection as California continues to deal with deadly wildfires and targets of predators and scammers.
Congressman Safety is one of the security companies residents are turning to as they work to rebuild what they have lost in wildfires.
“When it first happened, they just let the security companies get up in the area, so they just let people check their homes on the house,” Matthew Crider, executive protection manager at MPS Security, shared with Fox News Digital.
"I think it's a drawback. I don't think people know if their houses still exist. They don't have power. They might use some kind of camera system that needs power and certainly need Wi-Fi, so that really makes us lose money. .”
Basic phone numbers for residents in the Los Angeles area and how to help them
The sun rose near Palisades, the Pacific Ocean in West Los Angeles, following last month’s devastating wildfires. (Maria Alejandra Cardona/Reuters)
Creed said they had clients asking them to check their neighbor’s home to see if it was still standing, helping those who couldn’t afford the private details. His agent takes pictures of the debris and sends them back to the client for proof of destruction and tries to help residents determine if they have lost everything or still have a home.
"That's how they found it was very heartbreaking. But we did do a lot of things in it, 'Hey, your house is still here. I mean, the fence is a bit damaged, but it's still there, but it's still There." Explained. "So it's definitely hard. But we did do it for some clients who asked us to do it and see if your house is OK."
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Crider shares a new requirement that their team has never had: protecting the debris.
"I've never gotten this kind of demand before, so it's definitely different because we look at rubble to some extent. But they just don't want it - they're wealthy people, they just don't want their stuff going away .” Cried said.
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Sign posted in front of a home in Altardna, CA. (Derek Shakes Fox News Numbers)
Many of their customers also have safes, which he says are usually fire-resistant, and these safes hold many of the most valuable items from customers.
Creed said the demand for companies has increased their companies, especially in the event of a fire, when people seek peace of mind that their property is safe.
"The police can only do a lot of things, so we looked at the whole aspect of it, and the customers want more security, so they sleep better at night," Cried explained.
"I can only imagine staying in your house in that area, you want to go through the rest and be afraid because of your identity, someone will try to get things. It's a heartbreaking type of thing that one is that matter."
Crider said that through devastating, there have been some lights that have seen communities unite to protect each other against crimes.
"We came across many homes, three to four different homes, willing to pay for a single agent. The security of having something completely burned."
Crider added that while his team deals with the physical aspects of the crime, other crimes they are seeing and hearing, including disaster relief fraud, scams and potential squatters.
"I just read a lot of different crimes, one is FEMA fraud. It's cybercrime," Cried said.
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An Altadena resident walked past the sign in front of her home on January 13, 2025. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
Another company that people turned to cover six after the wildfires.
The company said a special response team has been deployed to help people affected by the Los Angeles wildfires.
The company wrote in the alert on its website: “The six special response teams covered have been deployed to the Palisades Wildfire District to support communities threatened by the fire itself and the increase in crime in these areas. " "Our ability to respond to inquiries may be delayed during this period and we will make every effort to respond in a timely manner."
According to the company's website, they offer "massive support operations in all aspects of public safety."
The company's website reads: "The threat landscape of public safety has changed. Volatility and uncertainty, widespread and resource-slim. More flexible and less restrictive, Cover 6 allows rapid deployment of various solutions to assist public missions. ”
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The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said it added security measures in response to ongoing crimes that occurred during the wildfires and announced the creation of a “robbery suppression team.”
"This dedicated unit consists of people attracted from multiple LASD departments, each bringing expertise to combat looting and other criminal activities that may arise during periods of community vulnerability," the department's previous statement said.
Officials noted that the team will operate with additional deputy staff to increase patrol operations.
The agency’s Aviation Authority will conduct air patrols to provide enhanced surveillance and rapid response capabilities to ensure full coverage of affected areas, the statement said.
“Together, these efforts ensure continuous 24-hour patrols to provide consistent and visible law enforcement "Especially in communities that are still dealing with utility disruptions and increased safety risks," officials said.
Alexandra Koch of Fox News Digital contributed to the report.
Stepheny Price is a writer at Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com