Hollywood-Gower Neighborhood Association 

Neighborhood Meeting Report 

May 13, 2003 

Needle Exchange Report: Fran gave a brief overview of how the proposal became an issue in this neighborhood. The outreach that the neighbors did, sharing information and gathering consensus paid off. Councilman Garcetti wrote a letter saying that the L.A. Free Clinic and Clean Needles Now were pulling back their plans to host the needle exchange at the Hollywood Free Clinic. While we are relieved at the councilman’s acknowledgement of the stakeholders in the neighborhood, we are also committed to assisting in locating the appropriate place for such a program to operate. 

Our next step as a newly formed neighborhood group is to identify issues that affect the neighborhood and ask for the City’s help in addressing them one by one. As a strong group of interested leaders in this neighborhood, we can expect that a new relationship will exist between taxpayers and the City to turn this neighborhood around. 

Senior Lead Officer, Maria Gholizadeh gave an in-depth crime report: 

Burglary theft from motor vehicles was down by 2/3rds. There was a murder on Vine above Yucca the result of an argument between two parolees. The one who ordered the hit is in custody. The two perpetrators are at large – two Hispanic males. Four robberies occurred in the Yucca area.  

Tee-a mentioned that there is a concentration of crime on Carlos between Gower and Vista Del Mar. Maripat shared the serious conditions that exist on Harold Way and Gower. The crime stats show heightened activity at that intersection. 

Jordan told of an interracial fight that broke out after an event on Saturday – the people fighting were not his clients but his security had to attempt to break up the fight. This was the first ever open fighting amongst loiterers on Gower & Hollywood in his experience. 

Margarita told of open prostitution on her street – Vista Del Mar. Mike mentioned that he had made several calls with license numbers of Johns who park and have sex in his neighborhood – Harold Way/LaBaige. Maria will bring the number of Vice so that calls can be made directly to those who do that work. 

She told us about 311 which is a central number to get in touch with any and all city services and resources. 

Maria mentioned that Citywide Nuisance Abatement Program (CNAP) had created a “Box” with boundaries of:

Many resources are being poured into this box due to the gang/drug/prostitution in the area. This means that the crime sometimes escalates in the areas right on the borders outside the box. 

A new box has just been formed with the boundaries of: 

These boundaries were chosen to address the murders that have occurred in that area. 

Hollywood-Gower is a three block wide sliver that may experience more crime than normal. We should contact Susan Wagner (CNAP) to get her assistance in addressing our heightened crime. 

The difference between panhandling and Robbery is that when someone says, “Do you have any spare change?” vs. someone saying, “Give me money.” The second is robbery and there is fear involved. Call 911 when this happens and the police will respond with a code 3 (asap). 

There have been incidents in the neighborhood of peeing and defecating in public. The police can do nothing since there is a law in place courtesy of the ACLU making it legal to do this. The alternative is a proposal to place outhouses up and down the boulevard. There is a measure on Cindy Miscikowski’s desk to make public urination and defecation illegal so that the police can get involved again. Write or call Cindy’s office (213-485-3811) to ask her to move on that right away – tell her what it’s like to see this everyday. 

John Walsh mentioned the melee at Denny’s – he’s been going there for many years and never sees that kind of element there. Maria mentioned that late at night after the clubs close, the party folks go there to eat and things got out of hand. 

Maripat lead an open discussion of neighborhood issues that need to be addressed: 

The homeless is on the top of the list. 

Margarita Allen sees prostitution in the daytime on Carlos/Vista Del Mar. Maria says to call 911 when that happens. Gavin & Teresa speak of how frightening it is to walk to the Strip Mall (NE corner of Hollywood & Gower). Los Angeles Youth Network (LAYN) uses that mall parking lot to drop off clothing to the homeless youth. 

Tee-a and her friends see a homeless person sleeping by the dumpster behind their home as well as drugs/prostitution on their street (Carlos between Gower & Vista Del Mar) and people parking in what’s left of the alley just to hang out. Mark’s car got broken into last night. 

Steve asked what Maria’s ideal would be for approaching this area. What the principal challenges are in the area. She said that the homeless were the top problem with burglary theft from motor vehicles. Katherine mentioned drug dealing as a real problem. 

Mike cleans up his street (Harold Way) and tries to move the homeless along – sometimes they are responsive but lately have had some confrontational come-backs. 

Ruth says that a contract exists with Access to pick up homeless in West Hollywood and drop them off here. 

Teresa said that she is happy about 311 but what will be done about the homeless? Maria suggests we get in touch with Rudy Barajas, the City Attorney’s Neighborhood Team Director (see resource list below). Mark says we need more patrol – especially on his street (Carlos west of Gower). 

Katherine Etzel from Eastwood Coalition (sister neighborhood organization to the east) shared some best practices that her group uses to meet the challenges in their neighborhood. For drug dealing in the neighborhood, call the police often with details of what you are seeing, experiencing. Pass out flyers in the neighborhood prior to the meetings with a list of resource numbers on the back. There are city services that are free and can make a difference with just a phone call such as palm fron pick up and bulky item pick up. Her group has gotten resource cards for handing to homeless people when they try to panhandle. These cards are given to local businesses so that the homeless can see where to go for food, showers, shelter, etc. 

Maria suggests that we invite the following to our meeting next week: 

1.      Someone from the City Attorney’s Neighborhood Prosecutor Program — Jan Reyes (She has committed to attending our meeting after this one on Tuesday May 27th.)

2.      Owner of the property on the corner – northeast corner of Gower & Hollywood.

3.      Liz Gomez from L.A. Youth Network.

4.      Allan Shuman from Pantages.

5.      Manager of Network Auto body

6.      Manager from Pep Boys

7.      Susan Wagner from CNAP

8.      City Council representatives 

Next meeting Tuesday night, May 20^th, at 7PM – 8:PM 

RESOURCE NUMBERS 

·        Graffiti: Fax 213-847-4384 (include description, i.e. 6040 Hollywood on marble molding, under window, on utility box…)

·        Bulky Item Pick Up: Fax 213-485-1611 (include a detailed list of items and address where they are dumped and your name and phone number)

·        Vice: 213-485-2811 (Call if you witness girls “at work” in the neighborhood)

·        Bill Kycella, Neighborhood Prosecutor     310-575-8743   cell: 323-228-0513 wcysell@atty.lacity.org

·        Jan Reyes, City Attorney’s office  310-445-1715  jreyes@atty.lacity.com

·        Liz Gomez, Exec. Dir.,  LA Youth Network –323-467-8466

·        Paul Hollombe, Exec. Dir. Teen Canteen 323-468-2500

·        Susan Wagner, Citywide Nuisance Abatement Program (CNAP) 310-445-4029  Swagner@atty.lacity.org

·        Rudy Barajas, City Attorney’s Neighborhood Team Director  213-978-0734  rbarajas@atty.lacity.org