Community Safety and Well-being Strategy

On Monday evening, the West Hollywood City Council was presented with updates on several community safety issues, including an update on the Community Safety and Well-Being Strategy (CSWB) that was approved last year.

A staff report states that “Upon consideration of the inventory of existing services, input from stakeholders, and the local and regional context, eleven priority areas were adopted in the CSWB Strategy.” They are:

Issue-based Priorities

• Crime
• Emergency Preparedness
• Homelessness
• Housing Insecurity
• Mental Health & Substance Use
• Pedestrian & Cyclist Safety
• Older Adult Care & Isolation
• Poverty & Food Insecurity

Integrated System Priorities

• Local Law Enforcement Trust, Transparency and Accountability
• System Capacity and Innovation
• System Connectivity

Questions from council members centered on the progress reports on each item, particularly the WeHo Cares Team of associates who respond to persons suffering mental health crises. Both Councilmember Lauren Meister and Mayor Sepi Shyne inquired about the readiness and effectiveness of the 988 hotline for individuals in crisis or contemplating suicide.

Meister also had questions about a new Well-being Panel of people the city manager has said will be formed. Specifically, her interest was far less about who would serve, but how they would be selected. She hopes City Manager David Wilson will deliver some answers.

Mayor Pro Tem John Erickson asked about new state laws regarding people under mental health holds, or “51-50s,” and how those people would be assisted now. Captain Bill Moulder from the West Hollywood Sheriff’s station was on hand to respond, saying that the new “Care Courts” established by the governor and legislature are slowly rolling out to get these folks into a pipeline of care.

“It’s a wonderful step to really address homelessness, addiction, and certain issues – especially for people on the street – helping them to get help,” said Moulder. He explained that it may help decriminalize, for some individuals, situations where they have been arrested. Now those detainees can be referred to, in some cases, a care court rather than jail. But it would be up to the District Attorney’s office to decide if an arrested individual would continue through the criminal justice system or be diverted to a Care Court.

Public Safety Commissioner George Nickel came to plead for more sheriff’s deputies in West Hollywood, saying the numbers are down nearly 20 officers from pre-pandemic levels. “We need more officers, and we need to support the ones that we have because they’re here to work for us,” said Nickel.

Erickson and Councilmember John Heilman both voiced support for reactivating a Hoarding Task Force, where residents concerned with neighbors displaying hoarding behavior could register those concerns and get those folks some help. Erickson shared that during the pandemic, a fire broke out in his apartment building due to the build-up of hoarded materials.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of if we should reconstitute it, I think we should,” said Erickson.

Shyne asked Moulder if Sheriff Robert Luna’s new LGBTQ Advisory Board was planning a more extensive training program to assist this community, saying “The training our deputies are receiving is not in-depth, and does not prepare our deputies for the type of sensitivity needed for our entire LGBT     Q community as we all exist today.” She added that if the Sheriff is not planning more extensive training, she wants to know what WeHo as a city is going to do to deliver the training she feels is needed.

Semi-Annual Community Safety Update

Council and staff next turned to some specifics on crime and delivered services by first responders and other safety personnel. The staff report indicates the following on crime:

“From January through October 2023, there were 17,563 calls for service. This represents a 2 percent decrease when compared to January through October 2022. Part 1 Crime overall also decreased 8 percent from January through October 2023 versus the same time in 2022. Total Theft (Grand Theft, Petty Theft, and Vehicle Burglary) accounted for 65 percent of all Part 1 Crimes and those crimes continue to drive the Part 1 Crime numbers in West Hollywood.

In the West District, there was a 21 percent decrease in Part 1 Crime and almost every category saw notable declines. Organized Theft Groups (OTG) from South America continue to target nightclub patrons for their cell phones and wallets, but they have been disrupted by special enforcement operations that have led to 14 arrests of suspected OTG members. Vehicle Burglaries (-114 percent) also dropped significantly and the more serious crimes of Aggravated Assault (-29 percent) and Armed Robbery also showed meaningful reductions. The West District, with 1,088 Part 1 Crimes, accounted for 53 percent of all Part 1 Crime in the City.

The City Center remained static with a 1 percent reduction in Part 1 Crimes. Residential Burglary increased (+75 percent) and although the total number of incidents remains relatively low (21), station personnel will work to reduce those totals due to the serious nature of Residential Burglaries and the potential for significant losses. Other Burglaries (+19 percent) Page 3 of 12 also increased as the mailrooms and subterranean parking garages of apartment complexes were targeted for mail theft and theft from unlocked vehicles and bicycles. With 400 Part 1 Crimes, the City Center accounted for 19 percent of all Part 1 Crime in the City.

In the East District, Part 1 Crime increased +23 percent when compared to the same period in 2022 and the East District was the only area of the City to show an increase in Part 1 Crime. Strong Arm Robberies (+114 percent) and Vehicle Burglaries (+90 percent) increased dramatically, but there were increases in almost every crime category. The East District was hit particularly hard with Strong Arm Estes Robberies at BevMo and Target (10) and Petty Theft Shoplifting (91). In terms of overall citywide crime, the East District accounts for 28 percent of all Part 1 Crime.”

Fire Department Captain Drew Smith was on hand and raised the issue of needing a larger fire station soon. Erickson was supportive, even encouraging his colleagues and the city manager to immediately commit to finding ways the city could contribute to making that happen.

Block by Block (BBB), which contracts with the city to provide civilian security ambassadors around town, was also on hand to provide a report. Erica Leon, who manages the West Hollywood team for the national organization, says 2023 has marked a spike in increased calls for service from BBB ambassadors. The staff report also states,

“Unhoused community member contacts and safety escorts increased, while business/manager contacts decreased when compared to January to October 2022.”

Leon said that BBB ambassadors’ interactions with unhoused residents increased to 9,396, a substantial jump of more than 4,000 over the same period in 2022. She added that the Eastside continues to outpace other parts of the city in terms of calls for service and unhoused interactions.

Councilmember Chelsea Byers expressed an interest in a longer-term “realignment” among the public sector departments and agencies that respond to service requests. She voiced support for someday having the city’s code enforcement division handle service needs that end up with minor infractions or citations so that sheriff’s deputies can better focus on more actual crime-fighting work.

But both Meister and Heilman stated they would like to restore more officers to the LASD ranks. “This is not to knock Block by Block, but they don’t have the tools to do some of the work that needs to be done,” said Heilman. “They have to pass things off to the sheriffs.” He also said he’s hearing about more automotive and garage burglaries.

Technology and Security Enhancements

The council also agreed to approve and move forward with several technological and other security enhancements presented by law enforcement and staff. They include:

• Proactive Security Monitoring – “There are vendors that now offer 24/7 proactive monitoring of existing security technologies by processing large amounts of data to instantly detect potential threats. Any alerts that emerge are sent to the vendor’s 24/7 command center where trained personnel take immediate action by communicating directly through cameras informing people they are being recorded and by calling the appropriate authorities.”
• Polaris Utility Task Vehicle – “UTVs are lightweight compact vehicles with already built-out models for use by public safety, public works, or park and community management departments.”
• Ballistic Protection at City Facilities – “Ballistic protection is a physical barrier that deters potential intruders or attackers. The primary benefits of ballistic protection are increased safety and confidence that an organization has taken extensive precautions to protect on-site constituents and employees.”

They also provided direction and asked questions regarding establishing policies that would incorporate the following tools:

• Drones being put to use as a first responder
• Affixing more fixed real-time cameras
• Establishing a real-time watch center for law enforcement
• Installing weapon detection at city facilities
• Developing a visitor management system at city facilities

Photo by DnHolm