Hollywood/Gower Neighborhood Meeting Report 4-29-03

Crime Report: Maria Gholizadeh, our senior lead officer, gave a detailed report on the crime locally. Right now the most disturbing trend is Burglary From Motor Vehicles. There were 37 in the last reporting period. Also, she answered some questions we had on the needle exchange and other local issues impacting the neighborhood. She also spoke of the youth loitering around the businesses on the N/E corner of Gower and Hollywood. Plans are afoot to install the Graffiti Cam at that site soon and see if that helps. Maria’s phone number is: 213-485-4310 and her cell phone is: 213-509-6601 

Needle Exchange: Two gentlemen that were former landlords of the Clean Needles Now operation talked about the devastation to their neighborhood surrounding the presence of this program. They suggested that we do all we can to keep them from being allowed to operate from the Hollywood Free Clinic. They brought photos of the aftermath of CNN’s final party as tenants in their building showing a trashed facility with hostile and disgusting graffiti on the walls. 

Their recommendation to us or any location where there is a plan to place CNN was to recommend to their potential landlord that they require certain conditions before allowing CNN to operate: 

1. Do not sign them into a long term lease. Make the lease for 6 months or a year with a review process that includes the area businesses and neighborhood councils [and neighbors in general – my comment].
2. Require the Needle Exchange to have security at the site. The security should be inside and outside to ensure that patrons don’t loiter.
3. Require the Needle Exchange to hand out a flyer to patrons that instructs them to leave the area immediately after they receive their needles. No loitering.
4. Revoke the no hassle zone that surrounds a Needle Exchange that forbids police from having contact with suspected drug users/dealers within a limited number of feet of a Needle Exchange.
5. Forbid any onsite advertisement of signage for the Needle Exchange and do not allow window displays.
6. Require Needle Exchange to park their “Free Needles Now” vehicle off site.

Jose Malagon can be reached at Jose_Malagon@hollywoodsoftware.com   (323-463-2144)

David Gajda can be reached at  DavidG@HollywoodSoftware.com 

This discussion amongst the neighbors resulted in an energetic and necessary plan to better organize so that community pressure keeps this program out. 

We will meet at Q-topia Tuesday, May 6^th  (next week) at 7PM to draft a form letter for neighbors to sign and fax in, create and assign circulation/outreach routes throughout the neighborhood and discuss the rally/media/audio interviews with David and Jose as well as other neighbors. 

Bill (Co-owner of Q) gave a compelling admonition to the group that a few people faxing or e-mailing will not have the desired impact. He encouraged us all to take to the streets and fill the larger room with people. Then and only then will we have the power to stop this before it starts. 

Each person will bring at least a few additional neighbors to future meetings. 

The owner of the building that the Free Clinic operates from should be notified of this proposal – Mark Taper? Steven Starr suggested that each person make one phone call per day to

Chuck Ellis - Communications & Outreach Manager for the Hollywood Free Clinic at 323-337-1720.  

Fax and call Eric Garcetti to let him know how strongly you feel about this Clean Needles Now program to be situated in our neighborhood. Remember not to bash the program – focus on the wrong-headed idea of placing it near schools and in the middle of an area already inundated with at-risk youth and homeless people. His phone number is 323-485-3353 Fax: 213-613-0819. 

Teen Canteen/Travelers’ Aid: Don Sanders, their director, gave a presentation on the services that they provide and some insight on the nature of many of their clients. He has instructed them that to loiter near the businesses would result in a temporary loss of their services. The consensus was to work with Don by calling him when we see crowds forming around the market and parking lot. Don Sanders: 323-468-2500. 

Q-Topia: Jordan Birnbaum shared a vision of what Q-topia could mean to our community and the extensive measures that he and Bill (co-owners) have taken to mitigate concerns throughout the neighborhood. Shana (neighbor) asked about the trash and crime that seem to be happening on her cul-de-sac (Tamarind and Carlos). Bill will work with his clean up crew and Jordan will have the hired patrol car extend their patrol to include that street. Bill also committed to Shana that if she finds no parking on either of the two nights of operation, he will personally see to it that she has a space inside Q-topia and security will walk her home. Jordan & Bill offer their facility to help the neighborhood meet, organize, celebrate or anything that draws community together. Jordan can be reached best through his cell phone: 917-208-8849  

Franklin-Hollywood Hills Community Council in conjunction, Carlos-Vista Del Mar Neighborhood Watch, Hollywood Vine Association & Q-topia organized the meeting. 

Reports and announcements will be posted at FranklinHollywoodHills.org 

For more information, call Fran Reichenbach at 323-462-1514
or send e-mail to FranklinHwdHills@aol.com