The sentiment that Menlo Park has recently faced a surge of neighborhood burglaries has become shared among many residents. Private investigators, security guards, and policemen have been put on watch to secure the areas in which these frequent burglaries are occurring. Despite this effort, frequent burglary cases continue to occur, with the most recent being in the Willows on May 1.
Compared to data from previous years, residents’ claims of an increase in burglaries are inaccurate. “We have not had an increase in recent home burglaries. As a matter of fact, we haven’t had any to the best of my knowledge,” School Resource Officer Dimitri Andruha said.
While many people believe that 18 burglaries in the first two months of 2026 are extremely high, this is actually a significant decrease compared to years prior. In 2024, there were 48 burglaries in January and February, and in 2025, there were 38. Nevertheless, many residents are hiring private security for a threat that is becoming less common.
Victims report that burglars have entered through back doors or windows, sometimes even in broad daylight.
“We were out of town, and at about 9 p.m., three guys smashed in the glass side door of our house and went straight to the master bedroom, went straight to our medicine cabinets, and stole a decent amount of little stuff. They were only in the house for five minutes, and I had a camera in the house that caught them, and I have a picture and video and everything of what these guys look like, and then they grabbed a safe, they ran out the front door safe, and they stole some jewelry,” homeowner Josh said.
Expensive items have been stolen from multiple homes, causing panic in nearby areas. “They’ll go to the master bedroom and look for a safe, and typically they have a stolen license plate, so they just take the license plate off right afterwards, and they don’t care about security cameras, because they’re all wearing masks,” homeowner Steve Nagy said.
“This is the first time in 16 years that there’s definitely a palpable level of anxiety and stress in the neighborhood, people are adding security cameras and locking their side gates,” Nagy said. “That’s the first time I’ve noticed this feeling of lack of safety.”
Despite fluctuations in the number of burglaries, the general trend is clear: a consistent decline in almost every part of Menlo Park from 2024 to 2026.
Over the past three years, burglaries in Menlo Park have been concentrated in a few persistent hotspots. The West Menlo Park and Sharon Heights areas have been the most consistent target, with the wealthy residential streets along Alameda de las Pulgas appearing repeatedly across 2024, 2025, and 2026.
Incidents are recurring in the Belle Haven and Willows neighborhoods near the East Palo Alto border, showing little improvement despite the overall decline. Further north, the Friendly Acres and Bay Road area was notably active in 2024 but has since quieted. While the total number of burglaries has dropped since 2024, crime has not disappeared but instead concentrated in fewer areas.
The data alone can’t explain the anxiety as to why residents feel like crime is rising, but several factors may be driving the perception.
Incidents like this spread like wildfire on social media, which could potentially cause fear in viewers who live around these areas. The spread of these reports is instantaneous, which can create the perception that crime is everywhere, even when it isn’t.
Another possible cause of this anxiety could be the change in targets. A shift toward wealthier neighborhoods suggests that people who previously felt insulated from these threats are now experiencing them for the first time. This could exacerbate the sense of urgency, even if the absolute numbers are lower.
The sheer brazenness of these attacks may be more frightening than the frequency itself. The use of masks, stolen plates, and occurrences in broad daylight make people feel helpless. When burglars show no fear of cameras or consequences, it sends a message that trumps any statistic.
Regardless of perception, there are steps that residents can take. “The best precautions people can take are very simple to implement. Always leave a porch light on when going to bed. Also, get an alarm and set it when home and when away. Lock your doors and windows. Close any gates. Most residential burglaries can be avoided by being a cautious homeowner. Do not post on social media when you will be out of town,” Andruha said.
Numbers can measure break-ins, but they don’t capture the anxiety of lying awake, wondering if your neighborhood is still safe. The burglaries are decreasing. The fear isn’t. And until that gap closes, no statistic will feel like enough.
