Fresh off his swearing in Monday night, newly appointed Public Safety Commissioner George Nickel tried to get a discussion on returning the Sheriff’s deputy force to pre-pandemic levels onto the Commission’s next agenda, but he found no support among his colleagues.
“Right now we’re nearing the discussion that’s actually going to be going to the City Council,” Community Safety Director Danny Rivas told Nickel. “Actually, this coming Monday at their next council meeting, City Council will be receiving a semi-annual community safety update, and that is gonna entail actually the last six months of data as it relates to our public safety partners, which will include our Los Angeles County Fire Department, our Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, as well as our Block by Block Security Ambassador Program. And so at that time, City Council will be reviewing that data and then also providing direction to staff regarding any sort of adjustments or anything as it relates to the public safety contracts. And then following that in June, there will be a meeting where City Council will discuss the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.”
“Just given the timeline, the fact that City Council is going to be discussing this item this coming Monday, you know, I think allows the commission and other members of the community the opportunity to discuss the item, provide public comment, etc.,” Rivas said.
“Commissioner Nickel,” asked Chair Todd Hallman, “Are you going to retract?”
“Well, I mean, it’s within our purview to have a discussion about this, and it would be our next meeting,” Nickel said. “I believe is the 12th of June. The finalization of the budget is the 26th.”
“That is correct,” Rivas said
“So we would still have an opportunity between now and June to do any necessary study sessions, and then when we have our next meeting on the 12th, have a discussion?” Nickel asked.
“Actually there will not be an opportunity to do a study session between now and the June 12th meeting,” Rivas said. “We have Pride right around the corner as well that has really taken up a lot of the capacity from staff from the Public Safety side.”
Nickel kept his motion on the floor, but none of his colleagues would second it.
Later, public commenter Victor Omelczenko expressed disappointment in the Commission for failing to do so.
“When I heard Commissioner George Nickel suggest that maybe you agenda a group looking at the issue that has been besetting our city about whether we want to fund more deputies or less of this or that, I really like seeing something like that agendized,” Omelczenko said. “And I know that the City Council’s May 15th agenda will be released this Wednesday. So as individuals, you have the opportunity to look at that agenda and see if the budget is in there, because there’s only a meeting on May 15th.
“Then there will be a meeting on June 26th, and then it’s a fait accompli, and everybody will keep on saying, ‘We want this, we want that, we want this, we want that,’ and nobody comes to a decision. So the time, I believe, for commissioners to get involved in budgets, whatever it is, is several months in advance before the July 1st start, and everything is codified.”
‘If I had been on the commission with you, Mr. Nichols, I would have seconded your motion,” he said.
Maybe we could hire all those useless security ambassadors that were fired from Santa Monica (at a reduced rate of course)
minimum wage in WeHo is the highest in the nation… . they will get a raise in WeHo.
everybody but the cops. they dont get a raise, they get ‘laid off’ in weho.
A huge kudos to George for consistently asking smart and pointed questions throughout the meeting, including agendizing the discussion of sheriffs. It’s pretty clear that Danny (among others) is a bureaucratic pencil-pusher who spends more time putting off decisions, rather than actually making any. We can’t possibly discuss the issue of safety right now because we’re too busy planning Pride–seems to be a constant theme lately. And then another event comes up that taxes city resources which prevents discussion of safety. Don’t the others’ understand that crime/safety is the #1 issue for residents? If the safety commission won’t discuss the… Read more »
Shouldn’t Pride preparations have been locked down already? It’s 3 weeks away. And whatever data you needed to collate to present to the council meeting this coming Monday is clearly done since it has to be at the Council for review (and for the public to review) Thursday. But you’re telling a new commissioner that you’re far, far too busy to agendize a discussion for their meeting a month away. Riiight…
PSC is little more than an incubator for political wannabes and containment mechanism for local activists. My advice to any locals looking to get involved in public safety issues? Do it on your own. Learn self defense. Connect with your neighbors.
Seems to be the best advise, given what we have been up against since June last year.
Neighbors watching over neighborhoods has always been our first and best line of defense.
Yes, neighbors looking out for neighbors is always important but when you call for help you want help to arrive. Guys on bikes don’t cut it. I, along with my neighbors who I talk to you, all want more police not less.
I don’t come across anyone who doesn’t want more police.
Except for a couple of Council members and former Public Safety Commissioners, neither have I.
Interested to know the PSC Chairs position on the matter.
I asked a city council member and someone on the public safety commission if the city hosts any lower cost self-defense courses since the ones I’ve seen available are $600 and up.
Their answers were, huh, not sure. Haven’t heard of any. But google jiujitsu and maybe something will come up.
Thank you, George Nickel (and Victor Omelczenko). SHAME on the other commissioners for not seconding Mr. Nickel’s motion. It seems that Mr. Nickel is the only one that is really concerned about public safety and what the residents actually want.
Unofficial nomination of George Nickel for Commission Chair asap. He is the only one that participated in CERT Training, visited and participated in dialogue with his Fire Captain at Station 3 and appears to be champing at the bit.
Remarkable meeting. George Nickel started off getting right to the point however his colleagues faded in the wind after Danny Rivas waved them off with pronouncements of scheduling issues, staff reduction due to PRIDE even considering phases of the moon. Who would not want proper information and a realistic time frame in which to discuss? Additionally budget considerations brought up by Victor Omelczenko factor in. Rivas appeared unmoved by the announcement from Block by Block that 30 new ambassadors would be added that are not equipped with guns, handcuffs, pepper spray or batons rather additional sets of eyes and a… Read more »
So now sit seems Danny is trying to influence the process to support the self serving Councils agenda and bullied his way with words to scrap a necessary discussion?
BINGO!!
Danny Rivas LAST NIGHT: Muzzle the boards and commissions right from the get-go! Let them know what they can, and cannot do! Set the agenda for them, and turn them into nothing more than figureheads!
GEESH!!
In really bad taste Danny Rivas, taking advantage of some very inexperienced new commissioners. And as for Todd, guess he is Ericksons puppet, pity he didn’t turn in his resignation as originally thought. How shameful that he didnt second the motion, given the history and his flip flopping. Guess he’s very easily influenced and last night shows he is no leader and doesn’t deserve the title, Chair.
Hallman’s question about catalytic converters caught me off guard, especially in light of the ongoing issue of auto parts theft in West Hollywood. The city and LASD collaborated on an etching event to help address this problem back in February. It was surprising to hear that Hallman just now was asking what catalytic converters were, given that he is the chair of the commission.
Mr. Hallman should resign his public platform position as he appears unqualified on various levels.
Correct, he should resign. To be asking about catalytic converters at this point, is really embarassing. His only qualification is that he serves Ericksons self serving agenda without compromise.
Perhaps you were unaware that Tod Hallman revived the Eastside Neighborhood Watch and has made it into the one of the largest and most effective in West Hollywood. Tod’s leadership goes back years and if you have lived on the Eastside you have benefited from that leadership. Tod and I don’t always agree on issues but I never doubt his sincere dedication to our neighborhood.
Perhaps we have different concepts of leadership. Mr. Hallman likes to be social and arrange parties and does not appear to be a serious individual or have an analytical temperament which would be useful on the commission. Would you care to list the real attributes and/or improvements he has initiated?
Our neighborhood watch works; does your’s?
Whatever disagreements you have with Tod Hallman it does not take away from the fact he has motivated a lot of people on the Eastside, people like George Nickel who Tod recruited to our group, to get involved to be part of the solution. I don’t always agree with Tod either but I would be an ingrate to not appreciate what he has done for the Eastside.
No personal disagreements with Mr. Hallman other than in his performance as a commissioner. He doesn’t appear serious or appropriate. Perhaps Mr. Nickel was motivated because he believed he could do better on the commission. It was notable that Mr. Hallman failed to second the motion Nickel made at the meeting. Concerning rather shocking but not surprising.
He failed us terribly on Monday night and showed a real lack of leadership.
In my world, two truths can exist in the same space. It is true that Tod has been a leader on issues in his neighborhood. It is also true that his record on the Public Safety Commission has been spotty and hallmarked by flip flops and a lack of conviction to anything. The critique in these comments is warranted.
Not only should Tod Hallman have known about the catalytic converter etching event, he should have, as chair of the PSC, made it his business to know what a catalytic converter is!
It was obvious that he didn’t know, because he called it a “Cadillac converter.“ I couldn’t believe it, so I went back and watched the video again. I sure hope he doesn’t own Prius!
I wasn’t sad to see Robert Oliver, go, and I sure won’t be sad to see him go either!
Bravo to George Nickle and to Victor Olmeczenko!
It was both infuriating and frustrating, listening to a Danny Rivas, shut down Mr. Nickle, and ir was disappointing that not one commissioner had the guts to second the motion!
This is California, the people can put a proposition on the ballot, setting minimum sheriff staffing per capita and take that decision out of the Public “Safety” Commission and City Council hands. Any leftover money after meeting proposition obligations, could be put towards “Security” Ambassadors as they please.
I would have seconded the motion, too. What should have been a healthy discussions amongst commissioners, and a vote, was railroad by staff with meaningless word salad. Who is running the show? Who is setting the agenda? Residents were denied an up or down vote on have this critical dialogue now, not after the fact. Once again, process was abused and failed us.
WHY? Why is the City stonewalling? Why did the Director of Community Safety not accommodate a study session to gather public input while there still is time? I’m really concerned what happened last night.
These are questions we should be asking every single day, at every single meeting, on every forum available. Why is the city bureaucracy controlling the narrative and setting the agenda? Why did a brand-new commissioner with a very good idea get buried with barely intelligible techno-bureau-gobblydygook that had nothing to do with a legitimate call for discussion to happen in sunshine? Democracy dies in darkness; last night the dimmer was turned a notch in the wrong direction. And, quite frankly, if Pride takes precedence over public safety in staff time, we need a new captain sailing the ship of West… Read more »
Oh well, and I had such high hopes for this new commission. On another topic discussed, it’s really embarrassing for our city that so much time was spent talking about the ambassadors being used as escorts for residents walking home…….Sounds like we need more cops.
Yes!