RESEDA, CA – Standing alongside San Fernando Valley restaurateurs, Los Angeles City Councilmembers and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers this evening, Assemblymember Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys) stood up for public safety at a town hall meeting that focused on the recent string of robberies that have occurred at restaurants in the San Fernando Valley.

A group of thieves known as the “Ski Mask Bandits” have hit at least 52 restaurants in the San Fernando Valley, and five of them have been robbed twice. The thieves are aggressive and steal not only cash from the register, but also personal items from owners, employees and patrons.

“Making sure that business owners are able to run their businesses effectively and that customers feel a sense of security when visiting their favorite restaurant is of the utmost importance to me,” Assemblymember Levine said. “I want to work aggressively with the LAPD and the Los Angeles City Council to ensure that consumer confidence in this area is restored. With consumer confidence spurring the local economy, businesses in this area will thrive.”

The LAPD provided background information to the restaurateurs present, including details on the robberies that have occurred, plus information on targeted areas. They then followed up with safety tips and an instructional video on how the restaurateurs could safeguard their businesses, their employees, and their patrons.

The town hall meeting, which was held at the West Valley Community Police Station, was hosted by the California Restaurant Association - Los Angeles Chapter, Los Angeles City Councilmember Dennis P. Zine and the LAPD Operations -Valley Bureau. Los Angeles City Councilmember Wendy Greuel was also present.