Outpost HOA Wants LAPD to Probe Crimes Caught on Video

The Outpost Homeowners Association Board voted to ask the LAPD to cite commercial drivers for crimes recorded on time-stamped private security cameras and boost law enforcement in the neighborhood.

The meeting Tuesday night was held in conjunction with the Hollywood Hills West Neighborhood Council Area 5 Committee. The motion was passed following several recorded incidents of tour buses and commercial vehicles blocking driveways, lingering at celebrities’ homes and hitting parked vehicles. One recent recording showed a tour bus side-swiping a parked car and leaving the scene.

Board members expressed concern over non-commercial vehicles speeding through stop signs and breaking traffic laws in the neighborhood but ultimately decided to focus its motion solely on commercial vehicles.

The board also voted to ask the HHWNC to allocate $5,500 for 50 signs that welcome residents and tell them to drive slower to be posted in nine neighborhoods. A request for the HHWNC to support a variance at a residence on Outpost Drive also was approved.

Lisa Sarno, executive director of Million Trees LA, spoke to the board about an initiative from the mayor that grants seven free residential trees per home and works with businesses and nonprofit organizations. During its March meeting, the board requested 50 trees to fill gaps in the neighborhood and replace aging trees along Outpost Drive. 

While the trees are free, the program does not remove existing or dying trees, Sarno said. A permit is required to remove dying trees or stumps so the city has it on record. Million Trees LA has “absorbed” all public street planting and residential tree planting, she said.

A limited number of fruit trees are available for adoption. They include citrus, apple and avocado trees. One fruit tree is available per residence. While the city offers free mulch, compost material and information on how to plant the trees, it does not assist in the actual planting.