West Hollywood City Council Votes 4-1 to Add Four Sheriff’s Positions to City Budget

At a regular West Hollywood council meeting, on Monday, May 15, 2023, the city council voted to refund West Hollywood sheriff deputies during a discussion on Item 5.B, the semi-annual community safety update. Mayor Pro Tem John Erickson made a motion that was seconded by Mayor Sepi Shyne.

City Council voted on the motion regarding citywide community safety contract staffing levels. The City Council voted 4-1 (noting the no vote of Councilmember Byers) to approve a motion to add four positions to the City’s budget for Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department services, as follows: two (2) non-sworn Public Information Officer/Community Liaison positions; one (1) Entertainment Policing Sergeant; and one (1) Sheriff’s Deputy. The approved motion additionally provides direction for the City Council to consider adding another one (1) Sheriff’s Deputy following the City Council receiving its next Semi-Annual Community Safety Update in December 2023. The budget for these additions will be incorporated into the City Manager’s Recommended Budget for FY2023-2024, which will be on the agenda for the regular meeting of the West Hollywood City Council on Monday, June 26, 2023. The agenda will be posted in advance of the meeting at www.weho.org/councilagendas.

The City Council of the City of West Hollywood received its Semi-Annual Community Safety Update as part of its regular meeting. The City’s community safety partners, which included representatives from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the Block by Block (BBB) Security Ambassadors program, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) West Hollywood Station, provided the City Council with detailed updates about the City’s community safety activities.

The Semi-Annual Community Safety Update, Item 5.B., contains details. The item is posted as part of the meeting agenda and the meeting is available for viewing on the City’s WeHoTV YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/wehotv.

“The safety and well-being of our community is the City of West Hollywood’s top priority. We’re seeing that crime is trending downward in 2023 from 2022 levels. We’re deeply committed to continuing that trend and making sure our city is safe,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Sepi Shyne. “We are continuing to work proactively with our community safety partners. There are more Block by Block security ambassadors than ever before and our Sheriff’s community policing team is out during days and our entertainment policing team is out at night so that West Hollywood is a safe place to live, work, and visit around the clock.”

As background, in June 2022 the City Council of the City of West Hollywood approved changes in community safety as part of its approval of the FY2022-2023 City budget. Changes included an increase of Block by Block Security Ambassadors by 30 positions to perform foot patrols in residential neighborhoods; adding one Sheriff’s Deputy assigned to the Entertainment Policing Team; maintaining existing funding levels for LASD Supplemental Patrols for the fiscal year; and decreasing the number of LASD Deputies by two within 90 days.

During the second half of 2022, the City’s Block by Block Security Ambassadors program was expanded by 30 personnel for a total of 85 security ambassadors. Block by Block Security Ambassadors work in collaboration with the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station to provide supplemental safety services. They get to know West Hollywood’s neighborhoods and provide a highly visible uniformed presence at the street level. They leverage the effectiveness of local law enforcement and assist in providing an extra level of hospitality to businesses, residents, and visitors. Expansion of the program aims to provide an additional public presence to proactively reduce crime and the City will maintain expanded staffing levels for its Block by Block Security Ambassadors program.

The Block by Block Security Ambassadors Hotline provides access to free, 24/7 support by phone at (833) WEHO-BBB / (833) 934-6222 or by phone and text message at (323) 821-8604. For additional information, visit www.weho.org/bbb.

The City of West Hollywood contracts with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement and the Los Angeles County Fire Department for fire protection. For anyone with public safety concerns, please reach out to the Sheriff’s Station 24/7 at (310) 855-8850. In an emergency, always call 911. For additional information about Community Safety programs in West Hollywood, visit www.weho.org/publicsafety.