TACOS w/ a Cop + S-T Neighborhood Watch!

Meeting of 20 August 2024 at Joselito's Mexican Restaurant. 22 people attended!

LAPD Senior Lead Officer (SLO) Ester Alvarado (Tujunga) and SLO Wil Godoy (Sunland) apologized for no meeting last month; they were supporting the La Tuna hoarder clean-out.

LAPD's transition to a new stat system isn't finished, but the crimes map that Officer Godoy showed on his phone was reassuring. Most of the San Fernando Valley was covered in crime icons, but our area was nearly clean!!

Dogs penned up on Commerce Av were relocated and the junkyard tenant evicted.

►JACK IN THE BOX INCIDENT! Two acquaintances, one unhoused, got into fight. One was pistol-whipped. Officers arrived in minutes. The accused ran to a liquor store and considered barricading himself, but surrendered when surrounded. DA filed charges. Two guns found and the defendant's home was searched.

►AUTOZONE MANAGEMENT IS trying to clean up the RV mess. Have cut down a nuisance tree. Christopher, owner of the RV, has slightly cleaned up his area. LAPD have cited him, and he has gone away for a 5150 (72-hour mental health hold) but comes right back. Godoy has done an exemplary job, as there were 10 RVs.

► OUR JOB IS TO REPORT! We must USE MyLA311 app as Step One in cleaning up homeless camps, dumping, and other ugly messes. It's not LAPD's job to originate MyLA311 cleanup calls, but officers go the extra mile and do it. City agencies act faster on multiple notices than single ones, so if you see a spot that needs a cleanup, PLEASE USE the app!LA has already spent our taxes to create it. Let's get our money's worth!

►KAPTAIN FISH SPORTS MEMORABILIA SECOND ROBBERY hasn't been solved. Officer Alvarado hasn't heard new info and LAPD can't discuss investigations in progress.

One resident strongly stated that this shop owes our community better store security! Easy, lucrative targets attract criminals into our community. When successful, they infest nearby neighborhoods.

►FIREWORKS ABOUT FIREWORKS! A resident said LAPD took forever to answer her many phone calls about Fourth of July fireworks. Then she was told to report them online. There was wide agreement that reporting fireworks was difficult, pointless, and that response was nil.

But to be fair, years ago when we as Foothill volunteers tried to locate and record illegal fireworks, just turning the corner onto a street with fireworks in our little LAPD i3 instantly scattered all parties into homes before we could get near! No useful photos were possible. Could DRONES be a good solution?

Godoy explained that officers always respond to a 911 assignment, but lower priority calls take longer. He mentioned that LAPD staffing still remains low following fallout from the defunding, and officers take summer vacations. He has asked the City for more funding, but was denied. He mentioned that other LAPD divisions are also requesting more officers.

►STREET FOOD VENDORS are under the jurisdiction of LA County Health Department and must buy a license. They MUST leave three feet of sidewalk unblocked by tables, chairs, etc. Most haven't set up the required handwashing station. Dial 211 to reach County Health Dept.

One resident reported a truck selling unrefrigerated ceviche (a raw fish dish) in 90° weather! Officers visit such stands, but can only request, not enforce.

Health Department citations are toothless because they don't raise insurance rates. Vendors pay the fines, change locations, then return. One resident reported a vendor on the traffic island at Olcott/Tujunga Canyon Blvd.

Members of STNC's Traffic Committee spotted and photographed the taco vendor at Von's discarding grease and cooking water into nearby tree wells! The vendor scoffed at their suggestions of correction or change. Reports to County Health did not bring visible change.

Several residents reported volunteering to clean up areas when stands are absent.

►HOW SAFE ARE WE HERE?? One resident volubly said she felt unsafe in S-T! SLO Godoy responded with statistics showing S-T and Foothill's comparative safety vs other areas of the city and county. But stay alert. This ain't Mayberry RFD!

CD7 Deputy for S-T Ricardo Flores (213-254-7073) says residents' anger often exaggerates phone reports about problems. That wastes City resources on petty problems and can delay action while the truth surfaces. Multiple, clear, on-site photos are the solution.

Three residents were loudly and profanely upset about what they perceived as slow police response, too few officers, or lack of emphatic prosecution.

One asked Mr. Flores if City Council is doing anything useful. He blamed the Council's progressive political stands, whose awful consequences he fears might send the social and legal pendulum too far to the right.

Ricardo responded that we have fewest encampments in city. He said our Councilwoman Monica Rodríguez has been emphatically vocal to the City about the unhoused, pointedly asking where tax and grant money has gone, and asking why other districts get more services than we do.

Flores suggests residents log into City's Homeless Committee hearings to hear Monica fight for funding! He suggested inviting Mayor Bass's Homeless Representative to our meetings. Bass got housing money from her first day, but Monica says we don't get our fair share. He suggests residents take the time to LEARN what candidates will vote for which laws!

►ROAD to RIVERWOOD RANCH WAS A MESS! For over a year, scores of family picnickers were frolicking in an artificially diverted stream, choking roadway access, and lighting cooking fires—all with no bathroom facilities! The area is unimproved, unsuitable for recreation, and owned by several entities.

So LAPD, CD7 and Riverwood residents met to implement fixes. Councilwoman Rodríguez called DOT *very emphatically* to get them activated. Boulders and barriers have now been introduced to reduce visitors' parking and access. These seeeeem to be discouraging visitors.

One resident commended Ricardo as “a godsend" for his help in several issues

SLO Godoy said he and Alvarado have "the best area in Foothill," thanks to local volunteering, cleanups and residents' 311 reporting. He hopes even more residents show up to help with cleanups.

SLO Wil Godoy, Sunland: 213/713-0802; [email protected]

SLO Ester Alvarado, Tujunga: 818/634-075; [email protected]

☼ MANY THANKS for being part of our area's ongoing and effective solutions!! ☼