At a Public Safety Commission meeting on Monday, October 9, West Hollywood Sheriff’s Sergeant Jason Duron, gave the commission a comprehensive crime report:
West Hollywood Station personnel responded to 1,699 calls for service. Seventy-three of these calls required an emergency response. Deputies made 38 felony arrests and 90 misdemeanor arrests for September. Response times for the station are currently averaging 3.4 minutes for emergency calls and 9.9 minutes for priority calls and 29.2 minutes for routine calls, which Sargeant Duron said was consistent from month to month.
West Hollywood station Part One Crimes are up about 10% in West Hollywood with an increase from last year in September 2022. This year, the city had 182 incidents involving Part One crimes in the city. The Westside accounted for 50%, which was 91 incidents; City Center was 18%, which is about 32; and the East End, was 32%, which was 59 Part One Crimes.
Duron said that overall, the Part One Crimes are being driven by theft, grand theft, petty theft and vehicle burglaries, which counted 113 out of 182 incidents.
There were 36 pickpocket incidents in September that occurred in the Rainbow District. Pickpockets continue to target rainbow district businesses where criminals take advantage of crowded venues and unaware patrons. Entertainment Policing Team continues to speak regularly with business management and staff to keep them aware of the problem and they try to be visible to deter crime.
There were 17 grand theft auto, or stolen vehicle incidents in the month of September. Of those 17, six involved vehicles where keys had been left inside the vehicle. Auto thefts throughout the county and in the state have been on the rise according to the report.
There were 34 vehicle break-ins during the month of September. The public is reminded to lock their valuables in the trunk of their cars and not leave anything visible. According to Deputy Duron, thieves break into cars and take property within a matter of seconds. They target vehicles in shopping districts and in areas known for tourism.
Regarding traffic related information, deputies made seven DUI arrests in September, three of which involved traffic collisions. There were three vehicle-versus-pedestrian collisions, one on September 2, where the driver was found to be at fault for not yielding to pedestrians.
On September 3, there was one incident where the pedestrian was found to be at fault for walking outside of a crosswalk.
On September 16, there was another incident where the driver was found to be at fault for yielding to the pedestrian.
In September the city had four vehicle versus bicyclists type collisions—none of which involved scooters or electric bicycles.
Sargeant Duron pointed out some notable incidents for September 1. There was a robbery in the 8400 block of Santa Monica Boulevard. Investigators concluded that the victims were targeted based on the watches and jewelry they were wearing. Detectives are actively investigating with leads to this incident.
On September 15, there was a robbery that occurred at a retail store on the 7100 block of Santa Monica Boulevard. A suspect took items from the store and when the store staff attempted to stop the suspect, the suspect produced a handgun. Store staff let the suspect leave. Several days later, the suspect returned to the store to steal again. Store staff recognized him and called the station. Deputies were able to arrive in time and arrest the suspect.
Duron also announced that Entertainment Policing Deputies made two arrests stemming from the station’s new license plate reader cameras in the city. The Station is working on tracking more data associated with those cameras that have been installed, which would include the number of arrests that were made and the number of wanted vehicles traveling throughout the city.
There was also an update on Halloween. The station is currently having weekly meetings with the city and other departments in preparation for city’s Carnaval celebration which is returning this year after three years. Sheriffs are working on a traffic and safety plan that will be implemented the day of. The Sheriff’s Station is anticipating a very large turnout based on the return of this event.
Regarding vandalisms on the east end in relation to graffiti, there is no current information on whether there is an uptick. Duron said this could be contributed to what sheriffs believe is graffiti abatement, where people are just having it cleaned off and it is not being reported, but it does not mean it is not happening.
To view the entire Public Safety Commission meeting, click below:
