West Hollywood’s February Crime Report: What’s Down, What’s Up, and What Changed

West Hollywood’s overall crime numbers fell in February, but two figures in the monthly public safety reports are worth a closer look. Security Ambassadors logged nearly twice as many unhoused contacts as they did a year ago, and calls for Sheriff backup jumped 75 percent. The numbers tell a story, just not necessarily the one at first glance.

The West Hollywood Station’s Part 1 crime report for February shows 112 incidents, down from 145 in February 2025 — a 21 percent drop. The year-to-date total through February stands at 257, compared to 326 through the same point last year. That’s not nothing. 

Most major categories moved down. Aggravated assault fell 44 percent year to date. Robbery dropped 40 percent. Theft from motor vehicles was down 39 percent.

However, residential burglary went the other way. This is something we’ve been noticing in our reporting. Deputies recorded 20 residential break-ins through February, up from 15 during the same period last year — a 33 percent increase.

Pickpocket Thefts Climb in the Rainbow District

Pickpocket thefts in the Rainbow District still remains a problem. Deputies recorded 13 in January and 24 in February — 37 total in two months, with zero arrests.

Fountain Avenue Leads All Streets in Citations

Fountain Avenue generated more traffic citations than any other street in West Hollywood in February — 30. Melrose Avenue was second at 29. Santa Monica Boulevard had 17. Sunset Boulevard had 2. 

Deputies made 11 DUI arrests during the month. Six of those arrests resulted in traffic collisions. Three of the six DUI crashes were on Santa Monica Boulevard.

Unhoused Contacts Nearly Double

The Security Ambassador report shows ambassadors made 1,402 unhoused contacts citywide in February 2026, compared to 723 in February 2025 — a 94 percent increase.

The sharpest jump was in the City Mid district, which covers the Sunset Strip. Unhoused contacts there rose 309 percent, from 116 to 475. Calls for Sheriff backup jumped 75 percent citywide, from 20 to 35. Ambassadors referred 258 calls to the City’s Homeless Concern Line during the month.

The jump in contacts may say more about how ambassadors are now logging encounters than about conditions on the street. At the November 17 City Council meeting, Vice Mayor John Heilman pressed Staff on why the Homeless Concern Line was receiving only three to four calls a day when anyone walking Santa Monica Boulevard could see far more people living outside. Director of Community Safety Danny Rivas acknowledged that ambassadors had been calling the line only when someone agreed to services — not every time they encountered someone unhoused. Heilman objected. Rivas agreed the approach needed to change.

The February numbers make it clear ambassadors are logging more contacts. Whether that reflects better reporting, more people on the street, or both is not clear from the data alone. We’ll likely learn more from tonight’s Public Safety meeting.

The data comes as the ambassador program came under community and City scrutiny. On February 15, a video posted to Nextdoor showed a West Hollywood Security Ambassador sucker-punching a homeless man from behind at West Hollywood Park. Allied Universal confirmed the ambassador was removed from patrol pending investigation. Allied Universal later confirmed to WEHOonline the ambassador had been fired. Whether he was terminated or simply reassigned to another Allied account elsewhere in Los Angeles has not been fully clarified.