West Hollywood City Council will decide during the upcoming annual budget discussions whether to cut down on the number of sheriff’s deputies patrolling WeHo, prolonging a debate which has drawn intense public engagement.
Councilmember John D’Amico’s motion — which ended the long-awaited, epically long City Council meeting focused on public safety — calls for the creation of a “public safety strategy” that spells out how much in city funds will go to the Sheriff’s Department and other WeHo security services like the MITS team, the MET team, secondary security car patrols, outdoor cameras and health and human services.
“Every bureaucracy can use a haircut, right?” D’Amico said. “But the thing you want to be sure you don’t do is cut off their hands or cut off their head.”
City Council has been asking City Staff to generate an overarching plan for public safety since last fall. D’Amico’s motion also called for a study of the budget every five years.
He expressed dismay at the chaos and anxiety generated by the Public Safety Commission’s recommendation to ax deputies from patrolling West Hollywood.
“I think the Public Safety Commission needs to understand that that was a lesson in political grandstanding and how a community can be negatively affected by the work of one of our commissions to sort of send a shiver of fear through the community at this moment — maybe accidentally, maybe not,” D’Amico said.
Councilmember Lindsey Horvath and Mayor Pro Tem Sepi Shyne both lamented the tenseness of the public conversation around public safety, accusing local news media of stoking fears and making residents “feel and think we’re living in the wild, wild West,” Shyne said. “We aren’t living in the wild, wild West. And we do not need cowboys in hats or law enforcement on horses on our streets.”
With the question of whether or not City Council would ultimately slash the sheriff’s budget still unresolved by night’s end, Shyne and the other councilmembers tried to strike a conciliatory tone.
“I really want everyone no matter what side you’re on to just step back and take a breath and remember who we are as a city,” Shyne said.
NOTABLE QUOTES
“That’s why the building is heated. That’s why people have retirement. That’s why people have sick leave. That’s why people have health care. That’s why people have child care. That’s why all kinds of things that come with strong union-backed employees come with lots of overhead.” — Councilmember John D’Amico, addressing accusations against the Sheriff’s Department in the private Civilytics survey he deemed “very anti-worker and anti-union and, in fact, anti-first responder.”
“We are the city of love. Just reach out and speak to one another instead of getting into your corners in this city and trying to be right even if it means destroying this community. We need to build each other up.” — Mayor Pro Tem Sepi Shyne
“I live on Fountain Avenue. It is a death trap.” — Councilmember John Erickson
Sound like they are going to take the law into there own hands. They can send the police were live WE can use them since they do not want them.
Regrettably the deal is done 4-1. Next time Lindsey sets fire to her underwear the police won’t show up.
I wish we could engage in discussion in a civilized manner with our neighbors… Anyway, I would like to say that I am strongly against defunding the Sheriff. It’s a sad state of affairs here, but crime really is increasing. As a young woman living alone, I don’t feel safe walking by myself at night (and in some areas during the day). Of course I would like for there to be better mental health resources, but this should be in addition to more law enforcement, not at the expense of. I really hope City Council pays attention to residents and… Read more »
It is pathetic that our own elected officials call us racists and fearmongers when all we want is to stop cuts in law enforcement in the middle of an upswing in crime. I don’t need to talk to the out of town advocates of de-funding the police; I need to talk to City Council members who don’t want to seriously engage the public. We want to engage in constructive and civil debate but with our City Council members disparaging us, it makes intelligent discussions difficult. It is not time to give the Sheriff’s budget a “hair cut” in order to… Read more »
It seems likely that there will be 4 votes to gut the police officers at the upcoming meeting. D’umbico thinks they need a haircut. Horvath needs to win her election. Shyne and Erickson seems to actually believe we need to gut the police force.
So the question is: What will the people of West Hollywood do in response? I think it’s time for a public meeting. Who will organize this?
West Hollywood could use a Public Advocate. One notable PA on the national scene is Letitia James in Manhattan, who among other things, published a list of the city’s most egregious landlords. She advanced to Attorney General and now has her teeth into all things Trump.
We could also use a healthy dose of common sense at City Hall.
Did you watch the meeting? What indication do you have that any Councilmember wants to “gut the police force?” D’Amico should be commended for wanting this audit. Look at exhibit B, from Monday’s meeting. This was the info that was missing from the prior scheduled meeting, March 21st. I don’t see how they could have a discussion, without this very important info. https://weho.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=16&event_id=1348&meta_id=225705 It is the Council’s duty to make sure the city is making the most of their dollars. The contract with the sheriff’s department has gone up 27% since fiscal year 2016. Deputies have remained at a level… Read more »
There are plenty of reasons the contract has gone up and the rate is concerning. But we have already cut seven deputies from the budget since 2014 when we had 67 deputies. So another ten is cripple law enforcement and insure we are less, not more, safe.
Steve, yes, I’d like to know those reasons. I’m certainly not advocating cutting deputies. I don’t think it is going to happen.
Apparently three of the council members appear to have little skill and no practical experience in problem solving. Their approach seems to be interrogation as one would use during a deposition, harsh critiques of member of the public raising issues and little common sense. Having never run a business entity and have little understanding and appreciation for the economics of budgeting. A dangerous path.
Dear Sepi, thanks for the platitudes but unfortunately I’m not feeling the love. Almost all the de-fund the Sheriff folks were out of town grandstanding posers. I did not see any of the Council members call out these folks when they were out of line in their comments; Lt. Bill Moulder was called a “bozo” and after I testified one of these guys yelled out that I was a fascist. Obviously “love” was not exactly on these people’s agenda. The residents who testified against de-funding are NOT trying to destroy the City and inference that we are is out of… Read more »
Steve, you got that right!
If you want to call anyone a bozo…. it’s the racist SHE aka Misandry Inc. Shyne, Horvath and Erickson. It’s time to ship these worthless jokers out on a rail!
Having seen the footage of the last meeting, I was shocked to see that three of the council members were not merely openly antagonistic towards the Sheriff’s department in their public posturing, but appallingly smug as well. It is clear they drank the kool aid of this defund madness and will happily vote to cut funding. Perhaps they have never bothered to look up the coast to cities where these suicidal policies have already been enacted and destroyed the quality of life for their residents, ruined their commercial districts, and damaged tourism and their economies. San Fransisco: https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/video/6220177-increase-in-bay-area-crime-and-safety-concerns/ Seattle: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-continues-to-go-backward-on-crime-as-much-as-30-years-back/… Read more »
Shyne and Horvath are living in an alternate reality. Do they read the news? The crime report from our Sheriff’s Dept? Talk to neighbors? I mean come on! Do you have your heads buried so far up your butts that you don’t see that crime is on the rise? Or is it that they are just so hell bent on sticking to their ideology that they are ignoring the real world? No, this is not the wild, wild west, but it sure is hell is not a safe time on our streets. Wake up! You are in your seats because… Read more »
Looking forward to this meeting. Senior citizens living in West Hollywood will be attending in large numbers to express absolute dismay of the incompetence of this city council to control their commissions rhetoric.
It is the citizens of West Hollywood who should have a VOTE on this matter. It should NOT be decided by the City Council ALONE! This is NOT Democracy.
First Shyne attacks go-go boys, now cowboys!!! Get this man hating monster out of BOYStown!!!!
West Hollywood is not Boystown. Only the Entertainment District is considered that, and even that is not called that anymore. Wake Up, Sweetie.
Exactly. She cannot even make an analogy without being attacked.
Shyne is the leader of men hating lesbians. She runs Misandry Inc. in England they would just call her an angry bloody cu#t!
Guys, lest I be pilloried for the appearance of virtue-signaling, I want to weigh in to say that this rhetoric does not advance the narrative. I think Scott was making a point, and it’s a point that probably frustrates many of us. I also think that people can call neighborhoods whatever they want to call them. I think, too, that the community in general should be more aware of the diversity of this small town. However, calling a two-block stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard by a nickname with long cultural roots can be seen by some as an attempt to… Read more »
Alan, Amen.
Indeed. Thank you, Alan.
You sound like a real pillar of the community. I don’t like Shyne because of her politics, but I’m confident I would hate you as a “human.” Also, lesbians don’t care enough to hate men. Only straight women hate men. Just ask your mom. I’m sure she hates you.
Councilmember Lindsey Horvath and Mayor Pro Tem Sepi Shyne two trash cans who have lived in West Hollywood for FIVE minutes.
This has been the standard MO of George Soros Foundation across the nation. Install Far Left Lunatics into local governments one by one until they can appointed and support others for a complete takeover.
These are fanatics.
Please don’t call Horvath and Shyne “left”. True leftists understand the importance of a strong police presence, and their focus would be on wealth redistribution over racial hand-wringing. The Worker’s Revolution does not have any room for the likes of those two.
Dear Trots; great observation. All of this constant attempts to play on ethnic and gender differences is distracting us from finding common ground on our collective economic issues. Safe streets and neighborhoods are also a human right.
Horvath joined the Council in 2010, I believe, by appointment. She has lived here for at least 12 years. Shyne has been here for at least 11 years, probably more like 13.
Please, do your research, before spewing nonsense. And have the civil discourse and maturity to stop, with the name-calling.
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c0f3e8e45776ef3f95217a3/t/5f23838a237e90233512beee/1596162957311/Sepi+Shyne%27s+Long+Bio+and+Facts+2020.pdf
Randy going to bat for his city council buddies!
No, they are not my buddies. You know *nothing* about me. And I don’t want to know anything about you. Your handle of “WeHoFan” is very inaccurate, since you complain so much.
I’m going to bat for the truth, instead of spewing lies. Lies, which you seem to advocate.
WehoFan does not mean blindly supports a corrupt and arrogant city council.
Randy is just trying to insure people have the facts. On the balance, I think he judges Council members on their specific actions and I have always found he wants to raise the level of conversation and focus on real world solutions.
Thanks, Randy for actually providing facts.
Too many times the comment section is filled with nasty insults and baseless accusations.
HAHAHA you call everyone racist!
You have yet to provide even one example of me calling someone racist. Just one. ONE EXAMPLE is too much for you.
And yet here is direct proof that you called me racist:
https://wehoonline.com/2022/03/14/nika-soon-shiong-defends-her-push-to-defund-the-sheriffs-department/#comment-135446
Put up or shut up. You never have any proof behind your ridiculous claims. Stop trolling.
Stop lying. You call anyone who doesn’t agree with you racist or white supremacist.
Provide proof. Stop lying.
Unlike you, I provide proof and evidence when I make a claim.
As a 20 year resident of the east side, I just want to cheer Jose on! Most people have no idea of the back door funding by George Soros & others regarding the total takeover of this entire country to this insane socialist agenda one small election of small cities like WeHo, one at a time. It seems that many of us are feeling the consequences of the brain washing that the SHE intends to implement with their smug hate for any of us that that calls them out on anything! I hope that this next election can clean up… Read more »
SHE’s agenda is not a “left” agenda, and you wouldn’t think so if you knew anything about the fundamentals of left-wing policy. Adoption of woke politics by Democrats is a deep rejection of true socialist politics, which focus on class solidarity across race and gender. Maybe you should look up crime stats in communist Cuba before you stroke your keyboard, ESG.