West Hollywood's City Council To Receive Update On Public Safety Activities

Press release from the City of West Hollywood:

April 5, 2021

The City Council of the City of West Hollywood will receive a Public Safety Update as part of its regular meeting agenda on Monday, April 5, 2021 at 6 p.m. The update will include information regarding public safety activities from the City’s Public Safety Department, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department; City Manager’s Department; Code Compliance Division; and Human Services & Rent Stabilization Department.

The Public Safety Update staff report is available for download (PDF), and its corresponding attachment is available for download (PDF). For additional information about the City Council meeting and agenda, please visit www.weho.org/councilagendas.

The City of West Hollywood continues to be a safe place to live, visit, and work and the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, the City’s Public Safety staff, and the City’s Public Safety Commission regularly examine crime statistics to identify problem areas and adjust resource deployment as appropriate.

The Public Safety Update shows that crime was down in almost every category. For the period of July through December 2020 versus July through December 2019, Part 1 Crime decreased by 33 percent (Part 1 Crime includes murder, manslaughter, sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, and arson). Vehicle Burglaries saw a big decrease, dropping by 74 percent.

A noteworthy increase is that Other Burglaries rose during the same time period by 90 percent, as businesses shuttered by the pandemic were hard hit primarily because of increased exposure time to burglaries. To combat such burglaries, the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station implemented a Whole Community Approach, which included:

1. Increased engagement with businesses and providing effective strategies to protect businesses from burglaries;
2. Posting of burglary tips on social media platforms and encouragement for the community to report suspicious behavior;
3. Direction from the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station Captain for high visibility patrol during peak times when criminals target businesses; and
4. Created by West Hollywood Station’s Detective Bureau of burglary bulletins, briefings, and ensuring patrol deputies were aware of trends and possible suspects.

The number of reported rapes increased by 31 percent. Eleven of the 17 total incidents during the time period are related to a 2018 case in which additional victims have come forward; although the incidents occurred over a large time span, guidelines require victims to be counted during the month they are reported.

West Hollywood Station Sheriff’s Deputies have received body-worn cameras and training. All patrol personnel now have body-worn cameras and the program has been fully functional since October 2020. The new program has been running smoothly and Deputies have seamlessly incorporated the body-worn cameras into their duties, which promotes Deputy accountability.

The City of West Hollywood has a long history of promoting justice and equity by utilizing creative solutions and funding robust social services to support residents. While the number of patrol Deputies has remained stable over the last 20 years, there have been significant increases in civilian security teams, such as Block by Block and PACWEST); in City Code Compliance staffing; and in contracted social service agencies. These effectively respond to overlapping concerns from residents and businesses regarding issues such as traffic, parking, homelessness, and quality of life issues.

Staff members from multiple City departments have been working with the City’s Public Safety Commission to provide input on current and possible programs and policies to promote justice and equity in policing. Current and proposed work includes:

• City staff and Sheriff’s personnel working with the Center for Policing Equity (CPE) to conduct a data study of West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station’s data; the primary areas of study by CPE include use of force, vehicle stops, and pedestrian stops;

• City staff identifying a consultant to lead community engagement discussions on promoting social justice and policing reform, which will provide broad inclusion of the West Hollywood community and advocacy groups to gather a diverse range of input, experiences, and stories;

• Supplementing and/or partnering civilian positions with sworn officers/Mental Evaluation Teams (MET);

• Supporting broader efforts such as the Alternatives to Incarceration Work Group (Care First, Jail Last), the Office of the Inspector General, and the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission;

• Continued collaboration between the City’s Social Services contracted organizations and law enforcement; and

• Continued partnership between the City’s Code Compliance Division and West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station to promote neighborhood livability and address the various quality of life issues that regularly impact the West Hollywood community.

The City of West Hollywood’s Public Safety Department provides oversight of law enforcement and coordinates community programs to reduce crime and increase public safety and the quality of life for citizens, businesses, and visitors to West Hollywood. The City contracts with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for police protection, the Los Angeles County Fire Department for fire protection services, and Block by Block and PACWEST for additional safety services. To learn more about the agencies, programs, and initiatives that make the City of West Hollywood a safe place, download “Public Safety in the City of West Hollywood” at www.weho.org/home/showdocument?id=42465.

The City of West Hollywood’s Public Safety Commission meets monthly and provides the community an opportunity to provide input on public safety related services. For more information, please visit www.weho.org/city-government/boards-commissions/commissions/public-safety-commission.

For more information about Public Safety in the City of West Hollywood, please visit www.weho.org/publicsafety, contact Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department West Hollywood Station Lieutenant William (Bill) Moulder at (310) 855-8850 or wcmoulde@lasd.org, or contact City of West Hollywood Public Safety Director Kristin Cook at (323) 848-6414 or kcook@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

The City of West Hollywood has declared a local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Individuals are advised to stay at home as much as possible and limit close interactions to those in your household. When in public, community members should maintain your space with social (physical) distancing of at least six feet, and cover your face. Public Health officials recommend that everyone, even those who are vaccinated, to continue to follow physical distancing and infection control directives and wear a clean face covering that securely covers both your nose and mouth when in in public.

West Hollywood City Hall is currently closed to the public and has suspended all in-person transactions. Most public City buildings and facilities remain closed. City Hall remains accessible for business and essential services with transactions to be conducted by phone (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org.

City of West Hollywood coronavirus updates are available at www.weho.org/coronavirus and the City encourages community members to follow @wehocity on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and turn on notifications. For up-to-date news and events, follow the City of West Hollywood on social media, sign up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.

This press release was produced by the City of West Hollywood. The views expressed here are the author’s own.