Tourism is up in Democrat-run Los Angeles — “burglary tourism”: from South America.

Well, at least someone wants to visit that shithole.

LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told the far-left and slowly dying Los Angeles Times that “South American theft groups are not new in L.A., but they have become more active in recent months.”

The Times adds: “He cautioned that it’s difficult to know for certain how many robberies can be attributed to foreign burglars, but said evidence indicates they are behind scores of break-ins.” In one area, north of the 118 freeway, he estimates there “were 94 burglaries, many probably committed by these crews.”

He explained that they target wealthy neighborhoods and look for jewelry, which is easy to fence for cash. Most are unarmed. “They don’t want to get gun charges,” Hamilton said. “They sometimes carry jamming devices to disable home security systems.”

LAPD Chief Dominic Choi said there has been a ”significant” increase in these crimes.

“I can tell you that we have a significant increase in burglaries from organized groups that are outside this country, that are coming into the country,” he said at a Police Commission meeting Tuesday.

Here’s more, and try not to laugh as Democrats get what they vote for from a guy named Felipe Leiva Solis, a 33-year-old Chilean national:

LAPD Det. Robert Hoebink said in a court declaration that Leiva Solis’ crew was tied to at least 30 burglaries in West Los Angeles alone. Hoebink alleged the Chilean used a fake passport to open a Bank of America account and wired more than $23,000 back home despite being here on a tourist visa.

LAPD officers on Dec. 27 nabbed three more of the crew allegedly tied to Leiva Solis near Coldwater Canyon Drive south of Mulholland when called to assist Beverly Hills on a manhunt for burglars. Inside a Ford Explorer, police said they found $1 million worth of stolen designer purses, clothing, watches and jewelry — all believed to be from a single heist.

Wanna hear the best part?

Police arrested Leiva Solis last August “after a woman hiding in the bathroom of her home called to report that four men had broken in through a sliding door.” Then…

He was released on bail!

Okay, you may laugh now.

Leiva Solis is currently being held without bail. Let’s see how long that lasts.

Democrats open up our country to anyone.

Democrats refuse to enforce laws.

Democrats release pretty much everyone with or without bail.

Why wouldn’t these gangs target wealthy neighborhoods in Democrat-run cities?

Democrat-run cities are now magnets for every terrible thing in the world: an invasion of illegal aliens, violent criminals, burglaries, drug abuse, and pervasive homelessness.

The moment you tolerate this behavior, you invite more of it.

FYI: we don’t have these problems out here.

No sympathy. None.

John Nolte’s debut novel Borrowed Time (Bombardier Books) is available today. You can read an exclusive excerpt here and a review of the novel here.