West LAPD: Weekly Crime Report, next C-PAB Meeting, Discussion on City Rangers and Westwood Park Encampments
click here to view West LAPD’s Basic Car Crime Report 3/21/21 to 3/27/21.
Click here for notice.
Click here for PDF version of the LAPD Online Police Reporting Policy.
Notes from Community-Police Advisory Board Meeting: Burglaries, Street Racing, Chauvin Trial, LAPD’s Security Services Division & City Rangers, LAPD & Westwood Park’s Homeless Encampment
CRIME UPDATE:
• Grand theft auto (GTA) is down dramatically.
• Violent crimes are down 22% compared to this time last year.
• Theft of catalytic converters up - thieves targeting Toyota Prius and Honda Crosstours
• Residential and commercial burglaries are up.
• Burglaries are up, especially in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica areas. LAPD is coordinating with Beverly Hills and Santa Monica to tie these crimes together by sharing video, survelliance, DNA and eye-witness evidence. Profile of these burglar crews: Knock-knock burglaries where highly-organized crews of 3-4 individual in a car, one individual will knock on the front door and another will go to back of house to smash a window or glass door. LAPD recommends activating your home alarms, close gates if you have them, make sure your motion lights are working, get real cameras as oppose to mock cameras. Those with alarms with smartphone apps can actually assist LAPD through LAPD Communications to track perpetrators. Make sure you lock up your house when you leave. Dogs are a good deterrent, too. KEY: Use preventative measures so your house does not look like an easy target.
• MORE WLA OFFICERS: Good news! : Due to the “reimagining of LAPD” due to budget cuts, the city has thinned down its non-patrol resources and each division received some resources. West Los Angeles Division gained 15 extra officers who will bolster the patrol watches and reduce response time with calls to 911 and non-emergency service calls.
STREET RACING UPDATE: LAPD has transitioned street racing/takeover response from a “divisional” response to a “bureau” response. What this means is that the Bureau are now deploying 25 officers from each geographical area plus West Traffic Division to combat the street racing. This has resulted in an increase in citations, impoundments, and arrests for DUI, and wreckless driving, and other violations.
MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICER CHAUVIN TRIAL: The Department is undergoing preliminary preparation for whatever that trial’s outcome and conclusion. Each command has been advised to start collectively preparing their people, community members, equipment, and critical infrastructure protection as the verdict comes closer.
LAPD’s SECURITY SERVICES DIVISION: LAPD Sgt. Edward Petterez addressed attendees regarding LAPD’s Security Services Division.
Security Services Division (“SECSD”). The Security Services Division responsible for the safety and security of City buildings, facilities, parks, shops, yards and warehouses, the Los Angeles Civic Center, the Los Angeles Zoo, Public Works Bureau of Sanitation Water Treatment Facilities, City Libraries, City Parks and all non-proprietary City facilities, their employees and visitors. SECSD consists of three major components: the police officer component; the security officer component; and, the contract security officer component. SECSD has Senior Lead and Municipal Lead Officers assigned to coordinate operations to suppress crimes, incidents and occurrences at our facilities.
They work closely with LAPD Senior Lead Officers as well as with their allied agency, the City Rangers.
CITY RANGERS: WHY DOESN’T WESTWOOD PARK HAVE CITY RANGERS PRESENT?
Answer: The Agency does not have the staff! There are only 27 Rangers for 400 city parks — and full deployment means 8 Rangers on duty at a time.
City Ranger Captain Sharie Abajian addressed the C-PAB attendees and address questions regarding Westwood Recreation Center and Park. Her focus was on enforcement of municipal code and homeless encampments.
The mission of the City of Los Angeles Park Ranger Division is to enrich the lives of the residents of Los Angeles by providing safe, welcoming parks and recreation facilities for people of all ages to play, learn, contemplate, build a sense of community, and be good stewards of our environment. Park Rangers, through careful efforts, protect those who are using parks and protect park resources so that future generations may enjoy them.
Captain’s Abajian’s response to the C-PAB attendees::
• The City Rangers are assigned to regions: Harbor Regional Park, Griffith Park and Hansen Dam — they work out of those bases.
• Rangers are deployed from the regional parks. For example, if a Ranger is deployed from Griffith Park on an emergency, there is a delay with an estimated time of arrival (ETA). They just don’t have the staffing.
• City Rangers have diversified functions as firefighting, law enforcement, search and rescue, and have Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) on staff.
• The City Rangers would like to build their staff by hiring.
• LAPD Captain Whiteman stated that Park Rangers are doing absolutely the best they can with the staff that they have. Rangers are great partners to have in the city family and they are an allied agency with LAPD. During this time of budget management where money is going outside of law enforcement, law enforcement agencies and their allied agencies must try to figure out how to leverage each other to solve problems and be more responsive and effective to the communities.
• WESTWOOD PARK’S TENTS & TRASH: Rangers are limited by what they can do. Homeless encampment at Westwood Park - there is a moratorium to enforce the 10:30 park closing time based on the Mayor’s Safer At Home Directive — which was derived by CDC guidelines. That is why homeless encampments are permitted to remain in the park. Westwood Park maintenance employees are not allowed to touch the trash if someone claims it is their property (even if it looks like trash). The only time they can clear the trash is if the trash is abandoned for 72 hours. If someone claims it within that 72 hours, the clock starts again.
• ECHO PARK CLOSED: The Echo Park incident was generated through CD 13’s Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell’s Council office. The park had been severly damaged from the homeless. Additionally, there were individuals in the park actually selling spots/tents to people. There was a shooting, The restrooms had been damaged and the park was basically stripped. The park is now closed for repairs. All individuals in the encampments were offered shelter and the individuals who refused shelter were cited. There were 400 officers to assist clearing the park.
• Attendees were frustrated because they strongly feel have lost the use of the Westwood Park due to the encampments.
WHAT CAN THE COMMUNITY DO TO PROTECT OUR PARKS?
• We can contact and express our frustration with our City Councilmember and put more pressure to support more City Ranger hiring.
SENIOR LEAD OFFICER PETE OJEDA TO DO OUTREACH IN WESTWOOD PARK ON THURSDAY, APRIL 8TH
Next Thursday, Officer Pete Ojeda and his outreach task force will be involved at Westwood Park. Part of the task force will include The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). They will be offering housing to those in the encampment. Issues arise because some are resistant to assistance because they do not want to live within guidelines of the shelters. It is hopeful that some will warm up to bridge housing and a willingness to accept services.