LAPD chief warns against wearing expensive jewelry as armed robberies skyrocket

On Wednesday, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michael Moore warned against wearing any expensive jewelry as the city experiences a wave of armed robberies.

Moore addressed several other municipal officials during the Los Angeles Police Commission meeting, stating, "What we're asking the public to do with these crime increases is if they're going to wear expensive jewelry or drive high-end cars, when leaving restaurants, taverns and other locations, they need to be mindful of their surroundings [and to] remain in well lit areas."

He said during the meeting that the public needs to remain "vigilant."

"[We ask that] they recognize there are opportunists that are willing to take advantage of them and many times, these individuals are armed with firearms," the police chief continued, according to Fox 11.

Armed robberies are up 44 percent since last year, the LAPD reported.

Moore mentioned that the city is trying to respond to the crisis, saying, "We're tracking the increase in armed robberies including looking at various suspect and vehicle descriptions of those responsible."

"We're gonna remain vigilant on this increase and we just urge everyone to pay attention to this to ensure that they're doing what they can to prevent these instances from occurring," he said.

Moore noted that a task force has been set up along with additional detectives assigned to investigate these cases.

People have been advised that, if they are targeted by robbers, they should "cooperate with the suspects and do not fight back."