Hollywood United Neighborhood Council

Monday September 8, 2003
Hollywood United Neighborhood Council
Meeting of the Public Safety & Transportation Committee at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood: 6054 Yucca St.
Upper Terrace-Community Room.

Agenda Item #1: Welcome, Roll Call & Acceptance of the August 11 th Minutes: Meeting called to order at 6: 45 PM by Susan Polifronio. Present were Board members Robert Abranamian, Russell Brown, Ann De Bello, Susan Polifronio & Viktoria Gaw. Members of the public and Hollywood lead and Traffic Officers present.

Agenda Item #2: Report and discussion of crime statistics by Senior Lead Officers and Sheriffs Office: Officers Shea, Sollie, Savdalian and Traffic Officer Siniel were present. Officer Sollie stated there had been a spike in mail thefts. Due to help from residents, they had caught 2 suspects, one with a car full of mail from eight different residences. It was suggested, as Identity Theft crime is exploding, that everyone contact the Postal Inspector and they will FAX a list of the most secure mail delivery boxes. After a query from Russell Brown regarding the difficulty he had trying to report a credit identity theft, Officer Shea stated that the Police do not take credit card theft reports, that goes to the credit card companies. Pamphlets on Identity Theft are available at the Police Station. Officer Savdalian stated that there is no actual crime called Identity theft but that the Police are gathering statistics so that a crime can be written. Until then, there is no way to prosecute. Officer Shea stated that there will be a Financial Crimes Symposium on October 10 th geared to businesses, but that the public would be welcome. Chief John Miller, a terrorism expert who met face-to-face with Bin Laden, would be at the Symposium. Ann De Bello brought up the 24hr. surveillance camera on Franklin near Tamarind. Officer Shea stated the police had requested the camera be directed outwards to help with that 2 block area's vulnerability to robberies and that the businesses should think about putting a camera on the north side of the street. Russell Brown inquired as to the $18 million federal matching grant for putting 240 new officers on the street. Officer Shea stated that the City Council was working on funding. The moral is up, retention of officers is up but we are still recovering from the net loss of officers in Hollywood. Susan Polifronio requested an update on crime in the Hollywood area. Shea: Crime Citywide is down 4%/ Arrests are way up. Hollywood tied with Central Division for the most arrests; we are near the bottom with Homicides, and below average on property crimes and other violent crimes. Traffic Officer Siniel stated that serious accidents and injuries were probably due to the Hollywood division writing more tickets than most divisions. Russell Brown brought up the Caltrans request for short term solutions to the traffic bottlenecks. John Farion asked what had happened to the rush hour lane reversals on Highland and suggested they be brought back. Officer Savdalian requested that we notify stakeholders to keep their windows and doors locked. This has been the main point of entry for increased crimes below Franklin Ave.

Agenda Item #4: Report on Progress of requested crosswalks, sign changes and handicap sidewalks:
We had a roundtable discussion of traffic and parking issues in the Hollywood area. Beachwood St. Resident Sevilla Granger asked for help in improving parking on Beachwood through the use of diagonal parking. She stated that the issue of permit parking had been raised by BCNA and that it wouldn't work on her street. Ms. Granger stated that the parking problems have nothing to do with businesses on Franklin Ave. and that at 4:00 AM when the businesses are closed there is still no parking. The Officers were very interested in the parking issues and stated they were very interested in the discussion. Ann De Bello reviewed the only possible lots left in the area, the Hollywood Courthouse overflow lot, perhaps partnering with whoever owns the lot behind the Arco Station on Gower and parking at Fire Station #82 if it is vacated. Viktoria Gaw brought up the proposed condos on Beachwood below Scenic and the possibility of the City requiring them to have more parking than needed and make it available for monthly residential parking. Ms. Granger thought the City could utilize the Union 76 Station by cantilevering a parking structure over the station as they do in Europe. Ann De Bello has put in the requests for crosswalks, sign changes, diagonal parking on Yucca and handicapped sidewalks to Barbara Porter at DOT. There is a 90 day delay in putting requests on the books. Susan Polifronio continued the discussion of all the lots, whether they could be utilized for public parking and a general discussion on the works in progress with CD4 and CD14, including Trolleywood, identifying possible lots, mobility stations and improving bike access to the Metroline.

Agenda Item #3: Public Comment: Items Not on Agenda:
John Farion brought up the HCAN proposal, first suggested by Charles Suhayda, on adopting a street, preferably Yucca, and keeping it clean. HCAN has expanded the idea and will attempt to keep Franklin Ave., to Gower St., to Sunset and back to Bronson Ave. clean. He is hoping that the size of the project won't be too daunting.

Agenda Item #5 & #6: Old and New Business: Discussion covered under previous items.

Agenda Item #7: Adjournment.

Meeting adjourned at 7:45 PM by Susan Polifronio

Minutes: Susan Polifronio