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West Hollywood public-safety update: overall Part 1 crimes down but traffic violence and evidence‑collection gaps worry residents
Summary
City staff reported Part 1 crimes were down year‑over‑year, but residents and council members highlighted large increases in traffic collisions, pedestrian injuries and evidence-collection delays; council debated rollout of cameras, drone policy and a new community safety officer program.
City public-safety staff delivered the semiannual community safety update, outlining 2024–25 call volumes and program changes and prompting extended council discussion and public comment.
Fire Chief Drew Smith said fire runs were steady, with medical calls up and fewer fires in 2025 but higher dollar fire-loss totals. “We’re still averaging 20 to 21 runs a day,” Smith said, and noted that fire‑loss values depend on the property and the extent of spread.
Alisa Lopez, a code-enforcement supervisor, said the proactive multifamily inspection pilot is roughly 50% complete and described short-term rental enforcement steps—research, owner outreach, notice of violation and monitoring of listings—followed by administrative fines if noncompliance continues.
Alan Gonzalez of Allied Universal reported ambassador-program metrics, citing about 108,800 total contacts (approximately 9,000 monthly) and some 13,000 contacts related to people experiencing homelessness; he said roughly 12% of contacts were with the unhoused and that repeat touchpoints are common.
Captain Fanny Lapkin of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station said Part 1 crimes dropped in 2025 compared with 2024, but she identified localized concerns—arson and locker burglaries—and described progress on a drone-for-first-responders policy (pending union signoff by March 2) and deployment plans for a mobile security camera trailer. The station also reported expansion of fixed cameras but placed a temporary hold on installing remaining license-plate-reader (LPR) hardware pending further review.
Speakers from the Norma Triangle described burglary incidents and what they called slow evidence processing; council members raised similar concerns about DNA/fingerprint backlog turnaround and asked for better follow-up procedures. Councilmembers pressed staff on timing for camera policies (staff said a comprehensive item will return March 16) and on CSO implementation; staff said the community safety officer program will include two CSOs operating with dispatch linkage, expected to be in place by June subject to contract and training.
Public commenters and commissioners emphasized a spike in traffic violence: speakers cited a roughly 30% increase in total traffic collisions, a 50% rise in pedestrian-versus-vehicle investigations and an apparent doubling of fatal collisions year over year in the data presented. Several council members urged short-term interventions—saturations, DUI enforcement, heat maps and temporary physical barriers on high-risk corridors—alongside longer-term capital street redesigns.
Council and staff agreed on follow-up steps: staff will return with more detailed camera-policy options (March 16), proceed with contract negotiations and return with a CSO implementation plan and timing (target: June), and explore ways to improve evidence-collection workflows and public follow-up.
