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Hollywood Gower
Neighborhood Assoc. Meeting Report
1-28-04 Crime Report:
Maria, Senior Lead Officer Maria announced
the Apartment Managers and Owners Symposium Feb 16, 2004 1-5pm saying that
tenants should also attend this free symposium. Crime is down! “Project
Restore” is contributing to this and making city services and
departments accountable. We have 18th
Street Gang injunctions – (we lost this injunction during the Rampart
scandal) now it’s back and it’s illegal to be a gangster.
The gang officers serve them with legal notices and then they have
to abide by the rules of the injunction – can’t hang out together,
can’t be out late or loitering in a gang territory. That has had a huge
impact on the crime in this area. 18th
Street Gang is all about drugs. They are dealers. Now they have to be in
bed by 10PM. The gang officers work at night and on weekends as part of
Chief Bratton’s plan. Helen asked about
a problem she is having getting Maria to return her calls. Helen will call
and leave Maria a message. Maria will take action and we’ll see if there
is still a problem by the next meeting. Maria explained how many calls she
gets in a day and has little time to take action sometimes and less time
to answer each phone call. Maria acknowledged Helen’s frustration and
promised to do what she could to help her or direct her to those who could
directly address her concerns. Helen asked about
the TKF taggers – Maria says that they aren’t gangs but they are
annoying. Bob mentioned the front wall on the parking lot near St.
Stephens. Mike is having more graffiti in his neighborhood (Harold Way).
Maria says to call the Gang Officers. (323) 957-6493
(Hollywood Gangs). Hollywood Beautification Team have teams of
people doing community service and they paint out graffiti
323-469-5100. Cameras to
catch graffiti artists.
Matching funds have been given to the Hollywood BID to purchase cameras
that the officers can monitor real time and apprehend criminals. We can
buy a camera even though we’re outside the BID area and the officers
will monitor them. It’s in the formation stage. The cameras cost $4,000.
Watch the Venice Cam to watch the people on the strand. It works
the same way… Captain Downing is the one to contact. 213-485-4302 –
only call him in regards to the camera – not on routine crime matters.
The community police officers, Hollywood Police desk or 911 is where to
call for help on other matters. Definitions: AGG = aggravated
assaults Prostitution
Vehicle Seizure – started
in SF and was so successful that they implemented it down here. When a
John solicits, they lose their car and must buy it back at auction.
Doesn’t matter if it’s a rental – and it happens right on the spot.
Jack Weiss is the Councilman who put this forth and extended this program
to narcotics. They did a sting on Hollywood and Whitley so those
soliciting lose their cars. It will also be extended to gangsters. Those
found to be in violation of the gangster law would lose their cars on the
spot. The questions was
asked regarding how to identify gangsters in the neighborhood. Gangsters
usually sport white socks, shorts and lots of tattoos. When they can’t
be on the street they go to other places. Instead of going out they use
Hispanics as dealers. These workers look similar to those individuals one
would expect to be selling fruit or flowers – same look but different
agenda… Steve from
Carlos/Vista Del Mar asked if crime grows in the summer – Maria said,
“Yes but it used to be so much worse.” The police are very proactive
now and their morale is very good.” How to make a
difference: Vote for more money directed toward the police force. Jordan said that
Q-topia was holding hiphop events. When he decided to consider this, he
was told to call Captain Downing before having such events – and they
consulted with the police and had 8 events with no negative events. He
made certain changes based on their experience and counsel. Neighborhood
Nuisance Abatement: Susan
Wagner – Community Resource specialist in the City Attorney’s Nuisance
Abatement Program. Project Restore: we are just outside the boundaries of
Project Restore. They bring agencies in to address problems and issues –
like Street Maintenance, Public Works – Street Lighting so that
solutions go forward without encumbering the lapd. They work with
community leaders to get a feeling for the problems in the community. One
great way of becoming empowered and get information is to go to: www.lacity.org
Go to “services online” – click on that – click on
“e-requests” – report bulky items or graffiti, street lights are
out. You get an e-mail return with a reference number so you know that
your request has been received. Potholes, city trashcans – order new
trashcans. The Department of
Sanitation is working on getting recycling for apartment buildings. Christmas trees
are to be cut in pieces and placed in the green cans or the large dumpster
behind your apartment building. Problem
properties: Nuisance
abatement deals with this. Narcotics activity –this is identified
as a dangerous situation where a building has been broken into and drugs
are being dealt, homeless are gathering. LAPD, City Attorney, Housing
department, planning department, building and safety are all called in and
coordinated in order to address this. Absentee owners sometimes rent to
gangsters who deal dope out of the apartment. When the LAPD has identified
the problem, Susan’s office writes a letter to the owner and makes them
responsible for the situation. Vacant
Property Ordinance:
Whenever they become blight, the new ordinance kicks in. The owner must
board it up on the inside and the outside (which requires breaking out all
the windows), sealing the doors, fencing the property. If the owner
refuses to cooperate they can be criminally prosecuted. Helen shared
about the huge concrete blocks on the Gordon – Susan says that the
property owner is responsible for the land to the center of the street.
When something is dumped, call 311 – street use inspection unit usually
is the department that cares for it. Lose stuff “Lot Cleaning” takes
care of lose junk like piles of trash. Fran said that she reports things
like large cement blocks or wood planks within her bulky item reports for
the Dept. of Sanitation and they usually pick that stuff up – so we have
options. Marguerite asked
about preferential parking – Susan says to call the council office. Six
contiguous blocks need to be included. Permit parking can cause as many
problems and it solves. There is no promise that you will be able to have
a parking spot on your street. But it will get rid of people parking there
that don’t belong there. Petitions must be
circulated with a good strong majority. Studies will be done to prove that
most of the people parking there don’t live there. Bob mentioned the
unique nature of the neighborhood in his area – Vista Del Mar, Argyle,
Yucca and Carlos. He has neighborhood watch experience. He’s the
caretaker of the Little Country Church. He feels that they need permit
parking. Also, lots of cab drivers park on Carlos and leave their trash.
Communication doesn’t exist with the parking lot owners who leave trash
all over the place. Susan Wagner’s
phone number: 310 – 445- 4029 Missy suggested
that Eric Garcetti’s office should be contacted – Baydsar Thomasian
323-913-4693 for the permit parking. Missy brought up
the Property on Carlton way that is partially owned by Toyota– motion
sensor to shed light on the gangsters. The Toyota people say that they
will support any ideas that will make that area free of
vagrants/homeless/gangsters/drug dealers. Priorities
Identified: Permit Parking
for the area. Meeting adjourned
at 8:30pm Letter
from Captain Downing & Chief Bratton: Free Seminar
The Hollywood
Community Police Station is pleased to announce a free seminar to help
manage your Hollywood Area properties to keep them crime free. Owners and
managers will receive vital training towards improving the management of
their properties and solidifying a partnership with law enforcement. This
program is nationally renowned for improving properties and tenant
population, which ultimately results in a higher income return. This Crime
Free Multi-Housing Symposium will be held on Monday, February 16, 2004,
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM. The symposium will be held at the Santa Monica Blvd.
Elementary School located at 1022 N. Van Ness Ave. Important keynote
speakers will be on hand to present information with respect to
landlord/Tenant Disputes, Civil Law, and Narcotic Evictions within your
properties. The symposium will last four hours and the information you
receive will last a lifetime. Refreshments will be provided. I am looking
forward to meeting with all of you on Monday, February 16, 2004. Please
plan on attending this worthwhile meeting. If you have any questions,
please contact Senior Lead Officers Armen Sevdalian or Joe Bunch at the
LAPD Hollywood Community Relations Office (213) 485-4310. William Bratton,
Chief of Police Michael Downing, Captain, Commanding Officer, Hollywood Community Police Station |
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