A video circulating on social media shows two of West Hollywood’s Block by Block security ambassadors watching, rather than stopping, a brawl between two drivers on San Vicente Boulevard, renewing doubts about their efficacy as a part of West Hollywood’s public safety arsenal.
CBS Los Angeles aired the footage and spoke with residents to get their reactions.
“If the Block by Block Ambassadors are not empowered to mitigate situations like this, which do seem to occur often in West Hollywood, truly it does give us a false sense of security and I think that’s extremely frustrating as a resident,” said Ethan Reynolds, who shot the video.
“You look at it and say Jesus come on do something,” said resident Eddie Aguglia. “Whatever policy is in place that made them react the way they reacted has to be changed.”
One of the ambassadors appears to operate a Walkie-Talkie during the incident, perhaps to call the sheriff, which Mayor Sepi Shyne told CBS Los Angeles is precisely their function, not to intervene. She directed the station to the city’s website to review the policy.
The report notes there are now more than 80 security ambassadors employed by the city. Last year, City Council controversially reduced funding for the Sheriff’s Department in favor of an increased presence by the ambassadors, who do not carry weapons, cannot make arrests, conduct investigations or detain suspects.
[…] https://wehoonline.com/2023/04/24/security-ambassadors-look-motorists-brawl-san-vicente/ […]
[…] after attacking sheriff’s deputies, according to the Block by Block security ambassadors who were seen standing and watching the incident in dashcam footage shared with the […]
This city has literally created traffic. They have done so by expanding the sidewalk to prevent right hand turns at lights. By blocking right and left hand turns all over the city during peak rush hour traffic. And sometimes not. They have signs everywhere forcing you to be dumped into traffic. It’s no wonder people are losing their minds. It must take 2 hours for people to commute from their jobs on the west side to their homes in east Hollywood and Silver Lake. It’s insane how politicians on every level in this state are intentionally making people’s lives more… Read more »
GIRLS! Neither of you is pretty! Get it back in your cars and learn to drive
So how are the “crime monitors” working out for WEHO? LOL!
while this is terrible, it isnt their role. our weho streets are loaded with potholes. like an under developed nation. they are the eyes and ears of the city. mark ever dangerous pothole and the city must fix them asap.
go to weho.org , or on your ap and report any potholes. its not one of west hollywood’s pressing issues.
This state is a failed state with West Hollywood being a failed city. And people still vote for this nonsense. Having moved out of this city to an adjacent city I can honestly say, have fun and enjoy what you voted for.
The problem, Rene is cognitive dissonance. They will never connect their poor voting choices to the outcomes. Never. period, end of story. They are in a cult.
Lol. I love this!!! Way to go Sepi. Way to go weho! This is hilarious to watch this stuff happen time and time again. I’m excited for it to keep getting worse. But as long as we have THE FIRST lesbian Iranian queer……insert next identifier + something of victimhood as our mayor!!!
While I do believe that the Block by Block Ambassador program as it is currently running is an abject failure, I also remind everyone of the 4/17 WEHOville story and accompanying video about the protest outside the library during Drag Story Hour and how, when an LASD deputy witnessed a physical assault mere feet from him, all he did was say something to the effect of “hey, hey stop that” and then turn away.
Honestly, does that make anyone feel the LASD is any more interested in doing their job?
Thes security ambassadors need to patrol block by block instead of just the main drags and actively introduce themselves to the neighborhood and inform the people on what they do. They don’t go into the neighborhoods UNLESS called to an address, this needs to change. Patrol the neighborhoods not just the businesses.
They are spineless and don’t know what to do. Since they are people that just needed a job, any job will do, they have no dedicated ambition for the task. They will be walking around the neighborhood with their noses in cell phones. Tell me I am wrong.
West Hollywood City Hall refuses to say if Council Members or WEHO bureaucrats are getting a commision or kick back from BBB! I spoke to a lawyer in Louisville. BBB HQ… She said Kentucky law requires businesses serving governments agencies or cities must reveal if politicians or civil servants are getting commissions, fees etc. 👍😀
This literally happened right next to the Sheriff’s station! What were the officers doing inside that they couldn’t step foot outside to help? I work in WeHo and see stuff like this every single day :((
They were calling the social workers to help mediate the situation.
Yes, that’s what I was about to say. This is within spitting distance of the Sheriff’s station. Where were they?
I don’t think it’s in the job description of the ambassadors to break up fights. They aren’t trained for that.