Despite misinformed news articles and political spins Monday night, we actually increased the funding to our community safety department. My motion maintained funding for supplemental patrols by LASD, added an additional Entertainment Policing Deputy and added 30 ambassadors to be the eyes in our residential neighborhoods. What we are trying to do is readjust levels in a fiscally responsible way.
In 90 days, we will replace two deputies out of 61 as a reallocation of funding to pay for the above, which means net minus one deputy in 90 days. It is a slow, pragmatic solution.
Some are happy and some are not. It is a compromise that provides a different solution based on what has proven to improve safety re bbb patrolling our streets. We will monitor this reallocation in nine months and decide if it makes sense to reallocate the funds from three more deputies.
I will listen to the facts, data and input from our residents. Incidentally, the same night I brought forward and passed an item that provides our law enforcement with the tools they need to arrest criminals who steal catalytic converters from cars parked on our streets.
This is an op-ed written by our mayor? I’m not following this issue very closely, but this is depressing. Their beliefs aside, our leaders ought to have an ounce of communication skill.
Shyne is not the mayor. The mayor is Lauren Meister and she voted against cutting any deputies. Meister’s vote and her commentary on this critical matter throughout the past weeks and months are clearly informed by her decades of community involvement in many disciplines, including public safety. Shyne’s commentary and vote were clearly not the product of anything but an eleventh-hour policy grab that is exposing many faults in the process. Let’s hope for some mitigation to this policy disaster.
At every juncture, Sepi Shyne reenforces her perpetual bad judgement and self interest. Her personality is continually repellant as are her displays of passive aggressive style leadership, if one could rightfully call that leadership. Best she consider taking a sabbatical to rebalance her life and direction.
Can someone tell this waste of oxygen that the block by block can’t do a thing without calling the Sheriff’s Station!! Who voted for this idiot??
Defund Shyne’s grocery budget. She’d benefit from that compromise.
Every resident in West Hollywood needs to tell Sepi Shyne to HER FACE in public what they think of her pro crime actions! Let her have a taste of her own radicalism. She should never be seen in public without being confronted!
GOD only knows what this city is going to feel like with MORE surging crime because we have mall security instead of police.
Ms. Shyne thrives on critical remarks on paper or in her face. That is how she began her journey after claiming to have been bullied in college. Instead of attempting to make friends with her critics mild as they seemed according to her rendition, she drew the battle lines and overreacted. She is in her element unfortunately so the residents must find ways to unwind this fraudulent individual. She is foisting her personal issues on the entire potation of West Hollywood and has found a small group of follower victims plus added Unite11 and AFL-CIO. That is where she obtains… Read more »
You can. sshyne@weho.org
She likely won’t respond. Nor will lhorvath@weho.org. jerickson@weho.org sometimes responds. jdamico@weho.org responds with tired dismissiveness, rendering him unworthy of continuing to hold his office.
Arrogance + Ignorance = Sepi Shyne
Not my mayor!
Whatever can legally be accomplished prior to her ascending to the ceremonial position of Mayor should be seriously considered. One she has that podium all hell will break loose and she will milk it for all it is worth. A passive aggressive Donald Trump type character who has already stated her goals. We collectively must not be duped by this fraud.
Sepi is a genius. I can’t wait for my security ambassadors!! I feel so much safer as a woman walking at night knowing they are patrolling the streets with a walkie talkie and a flash light.
https://dsa-la.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSA-LA-2020-General-Election-Voter-Guide-5.pdf
You mean making West Hollywood MORE DANGEROUS in the middle of a 137% increase in crime (jockeyed along by her lunatic anti- police sermons). And least we forget where the money is going…to FUND RUSSIAN ART FESTIVALS!!
I have a few things to say to you people who support this Far Left local crime supporter, but I’d rather say it to your faces!
While I can defend the value of the Russian Arts Festival, wonder if anyone noticed the yearly increases requested by JFS for $60,000/year receptionist @ Plummer Park. They have a $5million budget and while they do provide food services to the injured and elderly the organization is essentially a referral service to state and national funding sources. Many well paid chiefs in the organizational structure.
wehoville. You need to ask all the candidates: yes or no. Do they support that vote? Yes or no! Do they support defunding the police. Where do all of these people stand. Make a chart of their answers. Yes. No. Refuse to answer. I can’t keep track of these people running. I heard Sepi is pushing Zekiah as a candidate who I had never heard of before. Where does Zekiah stand on this I’m guessing the same as Sepi. Ask every single candidate.
Excellent! They MUST be held accountable.
Yes, every candidate for council must answer this question without equivocation.
I am truly sorry I voted for this idiot.
Thanks for your efforts on this issue – after decades of voting for candidates who claim a commitment to progressive change, you managed to get it done your first term. Looking forward to pulling the lever for you in the future.
Candidates have never for “decades” wanted to de-fund the police. This idea is as old as 2020, and candidates, even the President, have moved on from that nonsense. Apparently she hasn’t.
nice sarcasm
The only part of the vote that was a “compromise” is that this defunding compromised the safety of West Hollywood residents. The addition of Block by Block security ambassadors was an obvious fig leaf to the real goal, which was for certain Council members to be able to claim that they “de-funded” the Sheriff. Yes, the majority of the City Council selectively listened to “the residents”, assuming Nika Soon Shiong and Ambrose Brooks are residents, but they did not listen to the voices of the community. While I am confident that the new City Council will immediately rescind this irresponsible… Read more »
Spot on!
Yes Steven I think you are right. I read your article spot on. Forget defund the new word is rescind and we need to ask every candidate would you rescind.
She has neither the education nor the experience to decide for the people of Weho to cutback on deputies. She also appears to have an inflated ego by insisting reputable news source were “uninformed”. In fact, they understood better than she would like to admit. She is cutting back on deputies and reallocating funds to her unarmed BBB patrol. We get it Sepi. We don’t like it…not in the middle of a crime wave. From residents to business owners there is overwhelming opposition to this foolhardy reallocation.
Truth!