Despite having one of the highest crime rates in the country, the mayor of West Hollywood has denounced the city council’s decision to cut funding for the sheriff’s department.
The proposal, which was approved by a vote of three to two, will result in the hiring of 30 unarmed “security ambassadors” as part of a program called Block By Block, and a reduction of four from the present force of about 60 sheriff’s deputies.
The Democratic mayor of Los Angeles, Lauren Meister, and one other council member opposed the idea, calling it unreasonable given the increased crime and violence in the neighborhood.
Meister told Fox News that “the majority of the residents and businesses I have spoken to are opposed to lowering the Sheriff’s budget.”
She continued, appearing to make reference to the contentious Defund the Police movement taking place across the country, saying, “They are furious that people and organizations from outside our city are dictating to council how to run our city.”
The claim that we may choose between social services or the sheriff or between unarmed security squads is untrue.
West Hollywood is one of the most dangerous areas in the nation despite having just over 35,000 residents and an average property worth of $1.25 million.
The city of California received a crime index of eight from Neighborhood Scout, which analyzes crime statistics for communities around the nation, suggesting that 92 percent of American cities are deemed to be safer.
Since the rating was based on data from 2021, the city’s crime index is probably much lower now that it has more than doubled in the previous year.
According to data from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), crime in West Hollywood increased by 137% from the same period the previous year in February.
Around 250 ‘Part One’ crimes, including murder, rape, burglary, violent assault, arson, and human trafficking, were reported in February 2022.
According to KTLA, 105 of these occurrences were reported in February 2021.
Since LASD started keeping track of these information, this quantity also represents the greatest monthly total of offenses that are classed as “Part One.”
The Federal Enclave in West Los Angeles, Franklin Canyon, Universal City (which includes Universal Theme Park, Studios, and Citywalk), and the City of West Hollywood are all policed by the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station.
An immediate response to DailyMail.com’s request for comment from the department was not received.
WeHoville.com stated that residents and business owners from all around the city have expressed their serious concerns about decreasing the sheriff’s budget in the midst of a crime wave and during a period of overall anxiety for the last few months.
City councilman John Erickson expressed concern about the increased violence and said the city needed a serious plan to ensure the protection of the populace as he joined Meister in voting against cutting the budget.
Community safety is our top priority, he said to Fox.
“When I’ve heard from numerous residents about how they want to feel safer, that requires thorough planning and something that is not just drawn out over a choice,” the resident said.
The first two deputies will depart in the fall, as planned by the city. Over the course of the year, three more will leave, but there will only be a four-deputy reduction in staff due to the recruitment of a new deputy to the Entertainment Policing section.
Through the Block by Block program, a security company that assists more than 100 downtown areas in the United States, mostly through street cleaning and beautification, the city will also hire an additional 30 unarmed “security ambassadors.”
Block by Block and West Hollywood first cooperated in 2013, and since then, security workers from all throughout the city have assisted the sheriff’s office in West Hollywood.
Instead of making arrests, the security ambassadors’ mission is to simply help locals and discourage crime by being visible in uniform on the streets.
Our goal, according to Shea Gibson, manager of the West Hollywood Security Ambassadors, “is to be a visible deterrent on the street.” To attempt to counter any illegal conduct that is “low-hanging fruit.”
The idea to cut the sheriff’s budget was put forth by Sepi Shyne, who said that the cops were too expensive and that the Block by Block program offered more “bang for the buck.”
According to Shyne, “What we know today is that our residents want foot patrols.”
We must exercise financial restraint.
And we’ve been talking for two years now. Reallocating funding is necessary for reimagining policing. You can’t just say something without doing it, either. Period.’
Shyne and the council decided to spend $85,000 renovating the city’s famous rainbow crosswalk to be more inclusive, adding colors to symbolize the transgender community and communities of color, despite claiming the need to save money.
Another councilor who supported Shyne’s proposal, John D’Amico, voted in favor of the Block by Block strategy as well.
With 60 more eyes on the street collaborating directly with residents, the sheriff, code enforcement, and our social service providers – with two fewer deputies this fall, in my opinion, this is an increase in safety services,’ he said in a statement to Fox News.
Meister, on the other hand, is not persuaded and has promised not to approve the city’s budget in its present shape.
WeHoville.com quotes Meister as saying, “I’m not going to vote for the budget if we cut the sheriff’s (funds).”
“First of all, no country has the problem with guns that we do. To protect our residents, you can’t expect us to have a public safety force where the majority of members are unarmed.
The shift also occurs in the midst of a string of horrifying incidents in the neighborhood, such as the one in February in which a homeless guy pulled a young woman into a residential garage and “almost raped” her before she managed to flee.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the suspect tried to break into another woman’s apartment 20 minutes later but fled when she shouted.
In the first instance, the man was seen on surveillance video, which ABC 7 first obtained, grabbing the woman by the arm as they were walking through the West Hollywood district, where houses often sell for $1.5 million each.
Around 12.30 p.m., he then led her into the garage of a stranger’s house in the 800 block of North Vista Street, close to Melrose Avenue.
The man “made threats and demands that made her fear bodily violence,” the member of the Los Angeles Police Department’s media relations division said.
A little while later, the woman can be seen escaping from the garage in a hurry. She then took out running in search of assistance.
A man thought to be the same transient is accused of pushing a woman inside her apartment in West Hollywood’s 7600 block of Hampton Avenue about 30 minutes later. According to the cops, she scared him off by yelling at him.
The cast of Selling Sunset was victimized by robberies in March, which led firm CEO Jason Oppenheim to forbid his attractive employees from donning pricey jewelry in order to protect them from becoming victims. Robberies are one of the area’s main challenges.
After an employee was robbed at gunpoint, Oppenheim told TMZ, “I warned them not to wear jewelry or watches anymore.”
We must exercise diligence; these days, you always need to be wary of your surroundings.
The West Hollywood City Council members decided to increase their donation by $14,000 to $50,000 for a Russian cultural festival despite claiming that they needed to save money.
The Russian Arts and Culture Festival in West Hollywood has been a celebration of Russian and Eastern European culture for 20 years, but this year it will be changed in response to Russia’s ruthless invasion of Ukraine.
The celebration will not include any mention of Russia; instead, the event planners will concentrate on people with whom they share a cultural affinity.
The organizer of Russian community programming in West Hollywood, Tatyana Rodzinek, stated, “This year, we don’t want to host a Russian festival.” This year, we’ll exclude the word “Russian.”
The city also decided to spend $85,000 renovating the well-known rainbow crosswalk last year in order to make it more welcoming by adding hues that symbolize the transgender community and communities of color.
According to Shyne, the city’s first LGBTQ councilmember, “The new inclusive pride crosswalks demonstrate our City’s commitment to recognizing and honoring all within our LGBTQ+ community as well as our acknowledgment that equity is needed for historically marginalized members of our LGBTQ+ community.”
People around the country were on edge after the shooting in Oslo during Pride, which is known for its strong LGBT culture.
In addition, Justice Clarence Thomas’ opinion, which was published on Friday along with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, advocated the elimination of homosexual marriage and other civil rights.
Only one week after Captain Bill Moulder was appointed to lead the West Hollywood office, it was decided to stop funding the sheriffs.
On June 16, Moulder told the Beverly Press that he intended to concentrate on preventing the assaults and property crimes that were most frequent in the neighborhood.
Theft-type crimes have been and will continue to be our main focus because they are what are driving our numbers, he said at the time.
Particularly crimes like pickpocketing that happen within the businesses and outdoors on the streets of our nightlife venues.
“Street robberies will also be a target.” We’ll do our best to address the issue of violent crime, which is a constant worry.
According to data, about one-third of street robberies involve persons who are homeless, therefore Moulder intends to collaborate with the city to expand outreach efforts to solve the problem.
He remarked, “I think we can really make a difference in avoiding crime. It’s vital to undertake outreach.”
I have a fantastic working connection with the community, our city, and the City Council because of the extensive engagement I have had with them. I’m going to keep doing that work. It’s a privilege to act in this capacity.
Regarding their vote on Monday night, he has not responded.
After George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis in May 2020 by a white police officer, the idea of “defunding the police” gained popularity.
However, a plan to reinvent policing was soundly defeated by city voters in November 2021.
A ballot initiative that sought to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a Department of Public Safety that was “public-health oriented” was defeated by about 56% of voters.
Joe Biden and the ACLU have opposed defunding campaigns, with Biden arguing that police should receive more funding.
On a visit to the NYPD earlier this year, Biden stated, “The answer is not to defund the police.”
“It is to provide you with the resources, training, and funds to work together and serve as protectors; [the] community needs you.”
“Community policing needs funding to protect and serve the community,”
In addition, Eric Adams’ election as mayor of New York City was aided in part by his pledge to fight against police defunding and his promise of reform without budget cuts.
The defund police movement is dead in New York City, and good riddance, according to Congressman Ritchie Torres of New York, who made the statement in February.
And any elected official who supports the abolishment of the police or even their defunding is unrealistic and should not be taken seriously.