Representatives from the Block by Block security ambassadors provided a detailed report to the West Hollywood Public Safety Commission on Monday night covering their activities for the month of September 2023 — but conspicuously absent from their report was any mention that longtime Operations Manager Shea Gibson is no longer employed with the company.
A shift leader for the ambassadors reached on their hotline early Tuesday morning confirmed Gibson was no longer with the company but could provide no additional details.
On Wednesday, Block by Block provided this statement:
It is with much gratitude that Block by Block announces the resignation of Shea Gibson in order for him to pursue other professional interests. Shea has been an integral part of the Block by Block team for the better part of ten years, in which four of those years he’s been assigned to the West Hollywood Security Ambassador Program. During his tenure, Shea, demonstrated great dedication to the community of West Hollywood and to our company’s mission. We are grateful for the time and effort he has invested in our mission to create a safe, vibrant, and thriving community. We wish Shea the best of luck in his future endeavors.
Block by Block remains committed to providing exceptional community services in West Hollywood and beyond. We will continue to work diligently to meet the needs of the City to provide safer, friendlier streets for West Hollywood.
In 2022, WEHOville discovered that Gibson had served time in a Georgia prison for a voluntary manslaughter conviction, a fact unknown to the city officials who hired him. City Hall rushed to support him in the wake of the headlines.
In their September 2023 report, the Block by Block representatives noted a significant uptick in the number of calls for service compared to the previous month, with an increase of approximately 100 calls. The majority of these calls were related to issues involving the unhoused population in the community. Specifically, the data indicated that there was a 10 to 15 percent increase in contacts with the unhoused population in various parts of the city, including along Santa Monica Boulevard, in parks, and in residential areas. This trend was consistent in both the East and West parts of the city, showing an overall rise in such calls for service.
Addressing this growing concern, the ambassadors highlighted that one of their primary focuses over the past two months has been to intensify training for their staff in how to effectively engage with the unhoused population. As part of this effort, they have sought community outreach support from existing resource providers. One example they gave was their collaboration with the WeHo Mobile Care Unit, which is scheduled to conduct specialized training sessions for the Block by Block staff. This is aimed at reinforcing their role and providing them with additional resources to interact more effectively with the unhoused population, given that the ambassadors have a significant on-the-ground presence in the city.
Turning to community concerns about their visibility, particularly in the area south of La Brea near Santa Monica and Fountain, the representatives reported that they have taken several steps to address this issue. They mentioned that they had walked with community members in that area to better understand their concerns. Following that, they have seen an increase in the number of calls for service originating from the Huxley, a residential building in the area. They encouraged the community members to call them for service when needed, and this appears to have led to a more active engagement from residents of the Huxley.
In addition to improving their community engagement, the ambassadors also reported that they have been more consistent in maintaining a presence throughout the day in various parts of the city, including around the Huxley. They have not received any negative feedback from the community on this front, leading them to believe that their efforts are making a positive impact.
Despite these efforts, the ambassadors also noted some challenges, particularly with regard to staffing. Over the past few months, they have been reviewing their staffing in detail. This includes a more thorough vetting process. Filling staffing gaps remains one of their most significant challenges, but they are committed to ongoing training and retraining of their team, focusing on improving overall hospitality, communication skills, and community engagement.
During the question and answer session that followed their report, the commissioners expressed their gratitude for the work the ambassadors are doing, especially in areas like the Huxley that are sometimes overlooked. Chair Tod Hallman specifically thanked them for their efforts, noting that the Huxley, which has 291 units, is an integral part of the West Hollywood community.
After just watching the video of the P S Commission meeting, it seemed unusual that their report came from an individual that did not introduce herself and her male companion likewise did not and left without uttering a word after looking bored throughout the report. These folks lack professional demeanor and awareness about their responsibilities. The City should demand better.
The sad part about this is that the person that David the RVP selected to replace Shea is woefully unfit for the job.
Glad you noticed. Seems like Shea was pushed to resign due to David the RVP hiring someone to oversee everything Shea did and constantly micro manage the man who got the ambassadors the contract in the first place. The city stood by him but his own company didn’t
This issue is troubling on several levels. Initially Shea Gibson may not have been entirely suited to the position he held. Hiring the correct individual is of extreme importance as they are the operational face. Unfortunately due to prior indiscretions this may not have been the ideal choice for Mr. Gibson in his new career path and it was regrettable to witness the criticism he received from the public. The City had a responsibility to take amore positive position in launching the Ambassador program including Mr. Gibson’s past. If he paid his debt, he should rightfully be entitled to a… Read more »
Seems awfully ‘interesting’, that the city Council has not done a more investigative outreach to determine what has happened with Shea. Personally, I always liked him, and found our one on one exchanges above board, straight forward, & genuine. Given the fact that this program was ‘created’ and put into affect by this counsel, we as citizens, should know what has transpired, so this too, does not get swept under the rug like many other items during recent years.
yes, they have been sweeping a lot under the rug lately. We never did find out what happened to the BBB ambassadors that were found to noodling. And we never found out what happened to David Wilson being called on the carpet for his methods to hire a replacement for John Kehoe. That CC meeting was canceled. Their MO seems to be, stay silent, and hope that in time the public forgets all about it!
Didn’t Paul Arevalo, the old city manager merge his law firm with Best, Best and Krieger…. that still represent the city. It’s like that old game show “To tell the Truth”. Will the real city manager, please stand up.
And don’t forget about the fatal shooting of a young woman at the Avalon Apartments almost 2 years ago.
No. Paul Arevalo was City Manager, he was not a licensed attorney. Not being an attorney, he had no law firm to merge.
That was Mike Jenkins/Christie Hogan.
I stand corrected by correction. Arevalo joined Raymond James Financial. With everyone jumping ship at the same time it’s hard to keep the names straight.
Sadly, on many issues, their hope that things go away because the sheeple forget about them rings true. Fortunately, we have Mikie Friedman’s tenacity on the rental scooters to put a dent in that naive reliance on public apathy.
He was supported by the City but not by his own company. His hard work to get the company the contract was for nothing. So a RVP to come and take the credit for Shea’s work is just wrong. Not only that but to push him to the edge in till he resigned is just horrible
Shocked to see three commissioners absent from the meeting without any explanation. Seems like deja vu.